THE ECONOMICS OF SHIPPING IRRADIATED FUELS

It seems particularly appropriate to present this paper on \"The Economics of Shipping Irradiated Fuels\" to the membership of the Institute of Nuclear Materials Management. Let us recall that the Institute's objective stated by the Program Committee in their formal invitation to this meeting is: \" . . . . Increasing the knowledge and management tools in the efficient and economical utilization of nuclear materials\". Shipping irradiated fuels does not enter into the use of nuclear materials as do the reactor operations, or into the recovery of nuclear materials as do the reprocessing operations. However, we believe that in their broad implications, efficient and economical utilization of nuclear materials applies too, to the shipping of irradiated fuels and that thereby we can minimize the total costs for safe shipment of the irradiated fuels. Our desire today is to review with you the economics of shipping irradiated fuels. We prefer not to present specific cost information but rather to discuss the various factors that we feel must be considered in a complete evaluation of the economics of irradiated fuels shipment. These economics apply to all cases while costs apply to a single situation at a specified time. While cost studies are useful guides, it must be recognized that it is not until reliable firm-price quotations are at hand that you really know what the shipping costs will be.