Preparation of a Feasibility Study for New Nuclear Power Projects

Preparation of a Feasibility Study for New Nuclear Power Projects
Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher:
Total Pages: 137
Release: 2014
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9789201456106

A feasibility study represents an important step in the development of a new build nuclear power plant project. It is a complex but necessary step to determine whether a business opportunity is possible, practical and viable. Technical, economical, financial, regulatory, social, environmental aspects of a nuclear power plant programme need to be considered to allow authorities to make informed decisions regarding the possible implementation of the project This publication assists Member States in developing a feasibility study for nuclear power projects and provides guidance to users who are planning to perform such a study, with consideration of both the technical and process areas. These guidelines condense the experience of individuals involved in previous feasibility study efforts and provide industry best practices in order to maximize the usefulness of any results.

Approaches to Cost-Benefit Analysis of New Nuclear Power Projects

Approaches to Cost-Benefit Analysis of New Nuclear Power Projects
Author: IAEA
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 130
Release: 2024-04-19
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9201054246

Cost-Benefit Analysis (CBA) is an economic appraisal tool which can be used to inform an investment decision, for instance, the construction of a nuclear power plant. In a CBA, the costs and benefits are accounted for as fully as possible, allowing estimation of the net economic benefit associated with the project relative to a without-the-project scenario, or an alternative investment proposal. This publication suggests an approach for conducting a CBA for a nuclear newbuild project as part of a feasibility study. It presents a CBA framework which is built around four key steps to characterize a project: the project’s objectives, alternatives to the project, and the broad context; a financial analysis, including estimates of costs and profitability; an economic analysis, taking a broader view to include additional benefits and costs to society; and a sensitivity and risk analysis to assign a confidence level to key financial and economic indicators and identify the circumstances in which the project will generate value. The publication includes a case study to illustrate the framework’s application and describes, for example, the methodology used for valuing environmental benefits, such as emissions and pollution reduction. The publication is aimed at all stakeholders involved in the planning and decision-making on a nuclear new build project.

Specific Considerations in the Assessment of the Status of the National Nuclear Infrastructure for a New Research Reactor Programme

Specific Considerations in the Assessment of the Status of the National Nuclear Infrastructure for a New Research Reactor Programme
Author: IAEA
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 94
Release: 2021-06-17
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9201127200

The assessment approach described in this publication provides a comprehensive means to determine the status of the infrastructure conditions relevant to all issues detailed in IAEA Nuclear Energy Series No. NP-T-5.1, Specific Considerations and Milestones for a Research Reactor Project. This approach can be used by any interested Member State for self-assessment to identify weaknesses and to determine the additional work needed to develop its national nuclear infrastructure for research reactor programme to an appropriate level. Member States planning to embark on both a research reactor programme and a nuclear power programme, may refer to this publication to ensure that the approach and methodology for the implementation of both programmes is harmonized, efficient and effective.

Integrated Life Cycle Risk Management for New Nuclear Power Plants

Integrated Life Cycle Risk Management for New Nuclear Power Plants
Author: IAEA
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 214
Release: 2023-07-10
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9201016239

Integrated risk management (IRM) is particularly important during the preparation and construction phases of a nuclear power plant (NPP) and anticipates the risks that could arise during the operation and decommissioning phases. This publication is designed to enhance stakeholders' understanding of the fundamental processes, procedures, and methods for IRM. Practical guidelines are provided and best practices shared. The importance of having appropriate risk management policies, especially when considering the various contractual and organizational arrangements in different construction entities, operating organizations and Member States is emphasized. Tables are provided throughout the publication to indicate the causes of risks and their impacts on the applicable NPP or project. Economic evaluation techniques are also introduced. Member States contemplating expanding their existing nuclear power plant fleets can be expected to benefit from this publication, but it will likely be most valuable for Member States newly embarking upon a nuclear power programme.

Project Management in Nuclear Power Plant Construction

Project Management in Nuclear Power Plant Construction
Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher:
Total Pages: 124
Release: 2012
Genre: Medical
ISBN: 9789201222107

This publication provides guidance on project management from the preparatory phase to plant turnover to commissioning of nuclear power plants. The guidelines and experiences described will enable project managers to obtain better performance in nuclear power plant construction.

Management of Nuclear Power Plant Projects

Management of Nuclear Power Plant Projects
Author: IAEA
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 221
Release: 2020-11-25
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9201055226

Member States intending to introduce a nuclear power programme will need to pass through several phases during the implementation. Experience shows that careful planning of the objectives, roles, responsibilities, interfaces and tasks to be carried out in different phases of a nuclear project is important for success. This publication presents a harmonized approach that may be used to structure the owner/operator management system and establish and manage nuclear projects and their development activities irrespective of the adopted approach. It has been developed from shared management practices and consolidated experiences provided by nuclear project management specialists through a series of workshops and working groups organized by the IAEA. The resultant publication presents a useful framework for the management of nuclear projects from initiation to closeout and captures international best practices.

Radiation Safety in Well Logging

Radiation Safety in Well Logging
Author: IAEA
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 96
Release: 2020-08-18
Genre: Technology & Engineering
ISBN: 9201056222

This Safety Guide provides recommendations on the use of radioactive sources and radiation generators in well logging, including in the manufacture, calibration and maintenance of well logging tools. It provides recommendations on radiation protection and safety for the storage, use and transport of such radiation sources. The guidance in this publication is aimed primarily at operating organizations that are authorized to undertake well logging with radiation sources, as well as their employees and radiation protection officers. The guidance will also be of interest to regulatory bodies, and to designers, manufacturers, suppliers, and maintenance and servicing organizations of well logging equipment that contains radiation sources.

Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power

Milestones in the Development of a National Infrastructure for Nuclear Power
Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher: IAEA Nuclear Energy
Total Pages: 0
Release: 2015
Genre: Science
ISBN: 9789201047151

The development and implementation of an appropriate infrastructure to support the successful introduction of nuclear power and its safe, secure, peaceful and sustainable application is an issue of central concern, especially for countries that are considering and planning their first nuclear power plant. In preparing the necessary nuclear infrastructure, there are several activities that need to be completed. These activities can be split into three progressive phases of development. This publication provides a description of the conditions expected to be achieved by the end of each phase to assist with the best use of resources. 'Milestones' refer to the conditions necessary to demonstrate that the phase has been successfully completed.

Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessment for Near Term Deployment

Nuclear Reactor Technology Assessment for Near Term Deployment
Author: International Atomic Energy Agency
Publisher: International Atomic Energy Agency
Total Pages: 94
Release: 2013
Genre: Political Science
ISBN: 9789201403100

Given the increasing interest in the near term deployment of new nuclear power plants, IAEA Member States have requested guidance on the process of evaluating and selecting available technology options. Reactor technology assessment enables the evaluation, selection, and deployment of the best technology to meet the objectives of a nuclear power programme. This publication demonstrates how reactor technology assessment is performed and how the process and results of this work enable decision making in nuclear power planning. The approach also provides decision makers with the documentation necessary to support their conclusions.

Improved Methods for Managing Megaprojects

Improved Methods for Managing Megaprojects
Author: Paolo Minelli (Ph. D.)
Publisher:
Total Pages: 212
Release: 2020
Genre:
ISBN:

Nuclear power is in danger of fading away as a signicant source of energy supply in some parts of the world unless it becomes more competitive. The cost of nuclear energy largely depends on capital cost because nuclear power plants are very expensive to design and build and relatively cheap to operate. The capital cost of nuclear power plants is literally dominated by factors other than those of physical equipment, such as project preparation, site preparation, engineering, planning, installation, and management. Interestingly, project planning, monitoring, execution and management is where too often the nuclear industry has failed in the past. As of 2014, the average time and cost overrun for nuclear projects worldwide are 64% and 117.3%, respectively. There is evidence showing that there is something that we fundamentally do not understand (or represent) in project planning and management. This work is based on the premise that nuclear projects are megaprojects. As such, they are complex systems that are (1) constantly changing, (2) tightly coupled, (3) governed by feedback, (4) non-linear, (5) history-dependent, (6) self-organizing, (7) adaptive, (8) characterized by tradeoffs, (9) counter intuitive, (10) policy resistant. Hence, traditional project management methods alone are insufficient. An alternative approach to reduce cost and uncertainties of nuclear projects is to turn them into more standard projects, in terms of scope, complexity and capital at risk. For example, the nuclear industry is pursuing the development of micro-reactors, a type of plug- and-play nuclear batteries that would be two orders of magnitude smaller in physical size, wholly manufactured and fueled in a factory, and transported to the site within standard-size freight containers, requiring minimal site excavation and preparation. This work develops an improved framework for managing megaprojects, estimating their value, and making project/design decisions involving numerous stakeholders, multiple competing objectives, and substantial uncertainty. The framework is built on two pillars: a System Dynamics (SD) model and a probabilistic Discounted Cash Flow (DCF) model. The former focuses on design and construction, while the latter focuses on operations. These two models are consistent with each other and they are run sequentially. To demonstrate its feasibility and appreciate its benefits, the SD-DCF approach is applied to a real-world case study, e.g. an ongoing project in North America based on a marine nuclear power plant entirely built in a shipyard and towed to the site upon completion. A multi-objective decision making problem is framed to illustrate the importance of a solid decision management process in megaprojects. 270 dierent projects are derived from the combination of six high-level design/project choices: plant's capacity, deployment concept, flexibility, overlap between design and construction, level of efforts spent on FEED, size and availability of management team. The projects are simulated using the SD and DCF models, represented on trade spaces and finally evaluated against success objectives to derive general policy insights. This framework represents a synthesis of management methods that was not practically avail- able before. This work documents the development of the models, it shows why they should be used, it applies them to an actual case study hence providing a real-world application, and it makes the method credible, publicly available and convenient to adopt.