Year
2003
Abstract
JAI used the JAI Corporation Spent Fuel and High-Level Radioactive Waste Transportation Cost Model© to investigate the effects of key assumptions on the total cost of transporting spent nuclear fuel by truck and rail. The costs of shipment by both rail and truck were broken down into components of cost for a set of fixed basic assumptions to determine which components were the cost drivers. Subsequently, the sensitivity of the costs to changes in conditions was determined. With respect to rail shipments, the variables included cask cost and financial conditions, dedicated vs. regular freight service, the number of casks in a shipment, transport distance, and freight rates. With respect to truck shipments, the variables included cask cost and financial conditions, and transport distance.