Improving the accuracy of analyzing nuclear power plants operation based on calculation technique of maintenance and repair cost

Abstract

Modern methods to calculate the operating (operational, maintenance and repair) component of the cost of electricity for nuclear power plants (NPPs) include the number of disparate techniques calculating the cost of materials, labor costs, machinery and equipment depreciation and amortization, overhead costs, and others. Maintenance and repair expenses (MRO) amount to approximately 20 % of the electricity cost. As a rule, they are calculated in fractions (percent) of amortization expenses. Subsequently it leads to a significant deviation of actual costs from the planned ones, making resource planning more difficult. Thus, the development of unified calculation technique of NPP MRO cost is a highly topical issue. The study is based on Russian and foreign research in the field of enterprise and industry planning and management, published in scientific periodical publications and Internet. Analytical, logical, and engineering-economic analysis are applied. This paper represents an attempt to systematize the organizational and methodological support of MRO implemented at Russian NPPs. The result of the study is the development of MRO cost calculation technique which considers the peculiarities of planning, preparation, arrangement and carrying out of NPP repair work. The technique counts rationing of labor, equipment, and materials costs; calculation of repair personnel wage including the allowances, surcharges, and bonuses for work in severe environment (high / low temperature, restricted conditions, work at height, in special clothing and with the use of personal protective equipment, etc.), in ionizing radiation environment. The method to calculate each component of the NPP MRO cost considering the fact by whom repair works are carried out (NPP staff or contractors) is given. The developed technique provides an increase of the accuracy of calculating the NPP MRO cost causing the timeliness and resource availability planning. It leads to NPP economic efficiency in the domestic and global nuclear technology market.