Exploring the Competitive Potential of Magnetic Fusion Energy: The Interaction of Economics with Safety and Environmental Characteristics

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Abstract
The Senior Committee on Environmental, Safety, and Economic Aspects of Magnetic Fusion Energy (ESECOM) summarizes its recent assessment of magnetic fusion energy’s (MFE’s) prospects for providing energy with economic, environmental, and safety characteristics that would be attractive compared with other energy sources (mainly fission) available in the time frame of the year 2015 and beyond. Accordingly, ESECOM has given particular attention to the interaction of environmental, safety, and economic characteristics of a variety of magnetic fusion reactors, and compared those fusion cases with a variety of fission cases. Eight fusion cases, two fusion-fission hybrid cases, and four fission cases are examined, using consistent economic and safety models, to permit exploration of the environmental, safety, and economic potential of fusion concepts using a wide range of possible materials choices, power densities, power conversion schemes, and fuel cycles. The ESECOM analysis indicates that MFE systems have the potential to achieve costs of electricity comparable to those of present and future fission systems, coupled with significant safety and environmental advantages. This conclusion is based on (a) assumptions about plasma performance and engineering characteristics that are optimistic but defensible extrapolations from current experience, and (b) consistent application of an elaborate set of engineering/economic and safety/environment models to a range of fusion and fission reference cases, with the known characteristics of fission light water reactors as a benchmark. The most important advantages of fusion with respect to safety and environment are 1. high demonstrability of adequate public protection from reactor accidents, based on passive rather than on active safety systems 2. substantial amelioration of the radioactive waste problem by eliminating or greatly reducing the high-level waste category that requires deep geologic disposal 3. diminution of some important links with nuclear weaponry. These advantages are potentially large enough to make a difference in public acceptability of MFE, as compared to fission. Neither the economic competitiveness nor the environmental safety advantages of fusion will materialize automatically. Economic competitiveness depends on attaining plasma and engineering performances that are not yet assured. Achieving the potential environmental and safety advantages depends in large measure on designs specifically tailored to do so and on the use of low-activation materials whose practicality for fusion applications remains to be demonstrated. It is essential that sufficient research and development be devoted early to determining which of a variety of confinement schemes, structural materials, blanket types, and fuel cycle/energy conversion combinations can actually be made practical.

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