3 ms·

https://energypost.eu/how-much-will-it-really-cost-to-decommission-the-aging-french-nuclear-fleet/ https://energypost.eu/how-much-will-it-really-cost-to-decomm.

by Zigurd 3y ago

https://energypost.eu/how-much-will-it-really-cost-to-decommission-the-aging-french-nuclear-fleet/ https://energypost.eu/how-much-will-it-really-cost-to-decomm... Whereas Germany has set aside €38 billion to decommission 17 nuclear reactors, and the UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority estimates that clean-up of UK’s 17 nuclear sites will cost between €109‒250 billion over the next 120 years, France has set aside only €23 billion to decommissioning its 58 reactors. That's about 6X less than Germany, per reactor. When is the last time that kind of project came in under budget?

pyrale 3y ago
The article is from 2017, yet reports number from 2013. In 2017, the total provisioning was 28~Bn€. Also French reactor are still working (and producing returns), as opposed to German reactors. If you focus on dismantling costs, the example of Maine Yankee [1]: is way less dramatic: "In January 2002 Maine Yankee put the total decommissioning cost at $635 million." The number provided for UK reactors is ludicrous compared to existing dismantling costs, and simply factors in 150 years of dry cask storage, whereas France has a deep storage facility on the way. Also the author, Paul Dorfman, is an anti-nuclear proponent, it's not surprising to see this kind of numbers from him. [1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dismantling-nuclear/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dismantling-nucle...
- Zigurd 3y ago
  The numbers are from the respective national nuclear authorities. Also, as of 2019, the ongoing cost of securing spent fuel at Maine Yankee is about $10M per year. At what point does the spent fuel storage there age out and need replacement?
  - pyrale 3y ago
    > The numbers are from the respective national nuclear authorities. And, when it comes to France, the author chose to use 4 year-old numbers. > At what point does the spent fuel storage there age out and need replacement? As I said, France doesn't plan to store its spent fuel in dry casks. The current plan is to store it in a deep-storage facility similar to Onkalo.
- cycomanic 3y ago
  > whereas France has a deep storage facility on the way. That has been "on the way" for how many years exactly? The reality is that after almost > 50 years of nuclear power we have exactly one long-term storage facility world-wide which has been commissioned last year (Finland). And somehow that was hailed as a success. Also what do you think the storage cost for deep storage facilities are?
  - pyrale 3y ago
    > That has been "on the way" for how many years exactly? Research is completed, we're currently in the process of anti-nuclear groups using their legal recourse options. This project is not time-critical, so there is no reason to speed that up. > Also what do you think the storage cost for deep storage facilities are? Initial investment estimates are between €8bn and €16bn [1]. [1], in french: https://www.ccomptes.fr/system/files/2019-07/20190704-rapport-aval-cycle-combustible-nucleaire.pdf https://www.ccomptes.fr/system/files/2019-07/20190704-rappor...

by Zigurd 3y ago

pyrale 3y ago

The article is from 2017, yet reports number from 2013. In 2017, the total provisioning was 28~Bn€. Also French reactor are still working (and producing returns), as opposed to German reactors. If you focus on dismantling costs, the example of Maine Yankee [1]: is way less dramatic: "In January 2002 Maine Yankee put the total decommissioning cost at $635 million." The number provided for UK reactors is ludicrous compared to existing dismantling costs, and simply factors in 150 years of dry cask storage, whereas France has a deep storage facility on the way. Also the author, Paul Dorfman, is an anti-nuclear proponent, it's not surprising to see this kind of numbers from him. [1]: https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dismantling-nuclear/ https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dismantling-nucle...

Zigurd 3y ago
The numbers are from the respective national nuclear authorities. Also, as of 2019, the ongoing cost of securing spent fuel at Maine Yankee is about $10M per year. At what point does the spent fuel storage there age out and need replacement?
- pyrale 3y ago
  > The numbers are from the respective national nuclear authorities. And, when it comes to France, the author chose to use 4 year-old numbers. > At what point does the spent fuel storage there age out and need replacement? As I said, France doesn't plan to store its spent fuel in dry casks. The current plan is to store it in a deep-storage facility similar to Onkalo.
cycomanic 3y ago
> whereas France has a deep storage facility on the way. That has been "on the way" for how many years exactly? The reality is that after almost > 50 years of nuclear power we have exactly one long-term storage facility world-wide which has been commissioned last year (Finland). And somehow that was hailed as a success. Also what do you think the storage cost for deep storage facilities are?
- pyrale 3y ago
  > That has been "on the way" for how many years exactly? Research is completed, we're currently in the process of anti-nuclear groups using their legal recourse options. This project is not time-critical, so there is no reason to speed that up. > Also what do you think the storage cost for deep storage facilities are? Initial investment estimates are between €8bn and €16bn [1]. [1], in french: https://www.ccomptes.fr/system/files/2019-07/20190704-rapport-aval-cycle-combustible-nucleaire.pdf https://www.ccomptes.fr/system/files/2019-07/20190704-rappor...