How expensive is the maintenance of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers?

The overhaul of nuclear-powered large aircraft carrier should complete the work of reactor core replacement, power plant repair, hull inspection and maintenance, modernization modification and so on. According to the US Navy's estimation, the cost of overhaul and upgrade of nuclear-powered aircraft carriers is about three times that of conventional power carriers, and the most troublesome thing is the reprocessing of nuclear reactors after retirement. The disposal of decommissioned nuclear-powered aircraft carriers includes removing fuel from nuclear reactors, draining water from piping systems and water tanks, sealing radioactive systems, sealing reactor compartments and loading them into high-density steel tanks. The total cost is $887 million. Special facilities are also needed to store nuclear waste. The storage pool of Nimitz-class aircraft carrier core needs 306,000 dollars, and the annual storage cost of the core needs 1 1 14000 dollars. In contrast, the retirement of steam-powered aircraft carriers only costs $52.6 million. Generally speaking, the investment cost of nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is higher than that of steam-powered aircraft carrier by 120.89%, the total maintenance and operation cost is higher by 32.27%, the decommissioning cost is higher by 1596.23%, and the life cycle cost is higher by 36.58%. Therefore, the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier is the real "big country beast." At present, no other country can bear such technical and capital costs except the United States. However, with the increasing scientific and economic strength of China, in the near future, perhaps China will be able to end the "lonely lead" of the United States in the field of large nuclear-powered aircraft carriers.