Reply #17: NRC has rated EPR, AP1000, and ABWR at 60+60.

[Statistical]

60 year lifespan than refurbishing including replacement of RPV. Based on condition of plant license can be extended for 60 more years.

Most plants in US had a 30-40 year lifespan. Given that we stopped building reactors in the 1970s we should have no operating nuclear reactors right? Oh yeah they received 20 to 40 year extensions depending on design & condition. The vast majority of reactors in the US are well past their original service life. Most of the "wear and tear" on a reactor is the pressure vessel, the steam generators, and the primary cooling pumps. Plant extension is a cost effective way to safely generate another 20-40 years out of an existing plant by replacing only high use components.


Still lets assume not a single Gen III+ reactor gets an extension and they only last 60 year rated lifespan.

France current reactor fleet will reach end of life between 2020 and 2036. If they build replacement higher capacity reactors (34 x 1650MW) over that time period that is only 2 new reactor starts per year.

That means this "next generation" set of plants will reach end of life around 2085 to 2101.

Nuclear power doesn't need to last forever. The longevity of nuclear plants will push them into 22nd century. Who knows by then we may have 0.50 per watt solar at 35% efficiency.