Development and economic analysis of fast breeder reactor- pressurized water reactor's two-component nuclear power system

The global installed capacity of nuclear power is expected to grow significantly. Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) could offer an efficient, safe, and sustainable energy solution, supporting long-term nuclear power development while reducing nuclear waste. This paper develops scale estimation and economic analysis models for the two-component nuclear power system consisting of Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) and FBRs, using 1.2 GWe commercial fast reactors CFR1000 and BN-1200 as case studies. The development scales of PWRs and FBRs are estimated through case studies in China, considering single-reactor systems, once-through cycles, and two-component nuclear power systems. The results indicate that China's two-component nuclear power system could achieve a total installed capacity of 500 GWe. Economic modeling reveals Levelized Unit Energy Costs (LUEC) of 0.0459 USD/kWh for CFR1000 and 0.0494 USD/kWh for BN-1200, with a detailed sensitivity analysis of key impact factors. As the two-component nuclear power system continues to develop globally, fission power of PWR and FBR could serve as an affordable and sustainable baseload power in the future.