17 ms·
I recall reading that the fuel is 1/3 of the operating expenses, but I could be misremembering.
by cinntaile 5y ago
I recall reading that the fuel is 1/3 of the operating expenses, but I could be misremembering.
- ch4s3 5y agoAbout 28% as of 2018[1], but there have been some advancements since then. Half of that cost is enrichment and fabrication, and disposal is a factor too. It costs a lot less to fuel nuclear plants than coal plants, but maintenance is more costly for nuclear. Pricing in externalities or requiring scrubbers makes coal FAR more expensive. Natural gas is really cheap right now so that is largely what is undercutting Nuclear for base load power. It's worth noting that historically natural gas production/use has been far more dangerous than nuclear and far less scrutinized by regulators. [1]http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2018/ph241/wang-k2/ http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2018/ph241/wang-k2/