3. Development paths
They point in two directions:
short- and medium-term search for a more economical use of MOX ;
investigations to identify ways of using plutonium on a larger scale, possibly in combination with minor actinide recycling.
3.1 Improving current management
Lowering the cost price per kilowatt-hour, a constant concern for electricity producers, means seeking to reduce the share of fuel (cycle cost) in this price.
Under current "hybrid" management, UO2 assemblies remain in the reactor for four campaigns, while MOX assemblies are discharged after three. This deficit of around 15% in the burnup rate of MOX compared to UO2 leads to a cycle cost around 5% higher than the cycle cost of an all-UO2 core.
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Development paths
Research and development activities
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