RE: Kerry on Yucca Mt.

["Franta, Jaroslav" <frantaj@AECL.CA>]

-----Original Message-----

From: John Jacobus [mailto:crispy_bird@YAHOO.COM]

Sent: Tuesday May 18, 2004 10:02 AM



If we were smart, we would recycle the uranium to

produce new fuel, and take care of the waste.  That

isn't going to happen either.

<end quote>



Actually, the used fuel from US reactors can be re-fabricated, without

chemical reprocessing, into fuel for use in CANDU reactors (the greater

neutron efficiency when using heavy water moderator allows this).

There is activity going on right now to license Advanced CANDU Reactors

(ACRs) for construction in the US :



<quote>

Nuclear Canada

Canadian Nuclear Association Electronic Newsletter

VOLUME V MAY 14, 2004 NUMBER 17

www.cna.ca



ADVANCED CANDU REACTOR TO BE COMMERCIALLY AVAILABLE IN 2012

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited has indicated that it expects to have its

new Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR) 700 commercially available in Canada in

2012 and available in the United States in 2013, according to John Policyn,

President of AECL Technologies Inc.

AECL is working with Dominion, Hitachi America and Bechtel to test the U.S.

Nuclear Regulatory Commission's new combined construction-operating licence

process.

Mr. Policyn indicated that the Italian company Ansaldo could also be brought

into the partnership. AECL has worked with Ansaldo on the two Cernavoda

CANDU nuclear reactors in Romania.

In any project in the United States, the ACR 700 would be constructed in

complete packages or modules before delivery to the project site. The

consortium has begun discussions with General Dynamics and Northrop Grumman

about using their shipyards for modular assembly of reactor components and

systems.

Mr. Policyn said AECL anticipates having standardized piping, valves and

components throughout the plant, not just the nuclear reactor, to simplify

spare parts and inventories. He indicated that the first unit would cost

$1255 U.S./kW and a final cost of $1055 to $1075/kW for follow-on units. The

first unit would take 44 months to build, with subsequent units taking 36

months to complete. Mr. Policyn said AECL would offer fixed price contracts

to prospective buyers, based on the company's success in delivering projects

on or ahead of schedule with its CANDU 6 program in China, Romania and South

Korea. 

The U.S. NRC has indicated the qualification process for the reactor design

should take four to five years. Their staff have been at Chalk River

National Laboratories to discuss details of AECL's qualification program and

have also visited Gentilly 2 to observe on line refueling. 

Nucleonics Week 05/13/04

<end quote>



Any bets on which will open first -- Yucca Mountain SNF storage or a US ACR

?  :-)

None of the above ?



Jaro



http://www.cns-snc.ca/branches/quebec/quebec.html



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