There is a lack of “globally coherent and reliable information” on decommissioning costs, rendering the issue controversial, the Nuclear Energy Agency says in a worldwide study released in March.
Summarizing the study, the independent agency NucNet notes, "As decommissioning begins in countries with little or no previous experience or insufficient waste interim storage or disposal capacity, more and more questions are being raised over the adequacy of the necessary infrastructure and human resources, as well as the ability and mechanisms to finance the costs, the report says."
Estimates of decommissioning costs from several countries in the report range from US$240 million to $1.2 billion for planned projects or projects about to be implemented.
Since these costs will incur long after operations of a nuclear power plant have been discontinued and stopped generating income, expenses related to decommissioning constitute a future financial liability. From a governmental viewpoint, particularly in a deregulated market, it is essential to ensure that money for the decommissioning of nuclear installations will be available at the time it is needed, and that no “stranded” liabilities will be left to be financed by the tax payers rather than by the electricity consumers.
A good understanding of decommissioning costs is fundamental, the report says. However, current cost estimates are not directly comparable across countries, making comparisons difficult. Moreover, the available cost estimations show significant differences and are affected by large uncertainties even between facilities of the same type. Overall, there is considerable variability in the format, content and practice of cost estimates both within and across countries.
The report says the average age of the worldwide operating nuclear fleet in 2015 was close to 30 years, with nearly 250 reactors more than 30 years old and some 75 beyond 40 years old. While refurbishments for the long-term operation or lifetime extension of nuclear power plants have been widely pursued in recent years, the number of plants to be decommissioned is nonetheless expected to increase in the coming years, particularly in the US and Europe.
Examples of the fully completed decommissioning of commercial power reactors are limited and no “fleet effect” can yet be observed, the report says. Of the nearly 150 power reactors that have ceased operation, 16 of these have undergone complete decommissioning, most of which are primarily in the US.
Other reactors, mainly in Europe, are at advanced stages of decommissioning, and will allow for valuable experience to be gained.
The report, "Costs of Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants," is online: http://bit.ly/1R67Yi0. Related reports in the NucNet database (available to subscribers): "NEA Report Outlines Key Principles For Regulators" (News in Brief No.31, 15 February 2016).
Source: NucNet, March 9