Re-evaluation of electricity generation cost of HTGR

Abstract

An improvement of the electricity generation cost evaluation method for High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs) has been performed. Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA) had completed the commercial HTGR concept named Gas Turbine High Temperature Reactor (GTHTR300) and the electricity generation cost evaluation method approximately a decade ago. The cost evaluation was developed on the basis of the method of Federation of Electric Power Companies (FEPC). The FEPC method was markedly revised after the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster. Moreover, the escalation of material and labor costs for the decade should be considered to evaluate the latest cost. Therefore, we revised the cost evaluation method for GTHTR300 and the determined cost was compared with that of the Light Water Reactor (LWR). As a result, it was found that the electricity generation cost of HTGR of 7.9 yen/kWh is cheaper than that of LWR of 11.7 yen/kWh by approximately 30% at the capacity factor of 70%.