26.08.2015   Nuclear Reactors 1

Japan

About 24% of electricity was generated by nuclear power plants in Japan in 2008, approximately 65.7% from fossil sources (natural gas, coal and oil), and 7.7% by hydropower plants [7.4].

According to Table 7.10, advanced SMRs are not competitive with large nuclear power plants. However, because of the very high costs of generating electricity on coal — and gas-fired plants6, SMRs — as well as NPPs with large reactors — are competitive in these segments of the electricity market. In such conditions the choice between SMRs and large reactors would, inter alia, be defined by the site availability and characteristics. In the case of Japan, clustering of NPPs with large reactors on the sites has been considered more effective, resulting in a complete abandonment of the national SMR option.

If the interest rate is increased up to 10% (which is not the current case in Japan), some SMRs seem to become competitive, especially those with short construction periods (e. g. multi-module plants).

Because of complicated geographical conditions and high level of seismic design requirements, nuclear power plants in Japan strongly compete with large hydroelectric plants, see Table 7.10.

6 Japan imports all the fossil fuel needed for these plants.

104

5% discount rate

10% discount rate

Technology

(other than SMRs) Competitive SMRs reference [7.1]

USD per MvWh (from Table 77)

LUEC, reference [7.1] Competitive SMRs USD per MWh (from Table 7. 7)

Nucto parts 49 No smr (Table 3.7a[7.1])

76.46 No SMRs

PWR-90SL, PWR-125ML,

C°a’,ir“ pan’s 88.08 PWR-302TB, PWR-302-TL, (Table 37b[71]) PWR-335TTL

PWR-90SL, PWR-302TB, PWR — 107 3 302-TL, PWR-335TTL

PWR-90SL, PWR-125ML, ^ 105.14 PWR-302TB, PWR-302-TL, (Table37c[71]) PWR-335TTL,

PWR-90SL, PWR-302TB, PWR — 119 3 302-TL, PWR-335TTL

Renewable power plants (Table 3.7d [7.1]):

Large Hydro

152.88

PWR-35TB, PWR-90SL, PWR-125ML, PWR-302TB,

281.51

PWR-35TB, PWR-90S2,PWR — 125ML, PWR-302T B, PWR-302-

PWR-302TL, PWR-335TTL

TL, PWR-335TTL