Loading pattern design and economic evaluation for 24-month cycle operation of OPR-1000 in Korea

Abstract

Due to the tightened regulatory environment since the Fukushima accident, the capacity factor of Korean nuclear power plants has been declining since 2011. To overcome this circumstance, a shift from 18-month to 24-month cycle operation is being considered in Korea. Therefore, in this study, loading patterns(LPs) for 24-month cycle operation of the Korean standard nuclear power plant(OPR-1000) are suggested and economic evaluations are performed. A single-zone LP with 89 fresh fuels was evaluated to be optimal for 24-month operation of OPR-1000 in terms of economic gain. The 24-month operation of OPR-1000 with this LP gives a profit of 7.073 million dollars per year compared to 18-month operation.

Keywords

• OPR-1000
• 24-Month cycle
• Loading pattern
• Economic evaluation