Planning for Decommissioning of Nuclear Facilities: Some Views of Younger Stakeholders

Author(s):  
Bea Labor ◽  
Staffan Lindskog

One of the prerequisite for nuclear power to be regarded as a sustainable energy source is that no burden be put on future generations. One important step in the financial and technical planning for decommissioning is therefore to investigate, describe and explain the opinions and values of especially the younger stakeholders. In this article, some results from current field studies in Poland and Slovakia are presented. The aggregated survey is based on 1444 personal interviews in four towns in Poland and one geographic area in Slovakia with a near 100% response rate. The main conclusions from this field study may be summarised as follows: • Sustainable energy sources are favoured (nuclear power may be included if waste is managed properly). • Nuclear power is seen as a potential future semi-sustainable energy source by nearly 1/4th of the respondents. • The values are based on safety and environmental aspects. • The polluter pays principle (extended polluter responsibility) is accepted. • There are doubts regarding the compliance with these principles in the implementation of the disposal of the nuclear residues. • Means and modes of communication with the younger stakeholders need further development. • No difference in views was found between the sexes. • Nearly one 1/5th of the respondents are open to accept reprocessing.

2022 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 899
Author(s):  
Zaida Troya ◽  
Rafael Esteban ◽  
Enrique Herrera-Viedma ◽  
Antonio Peña-García

Nuclear facilities are a main milestone in the long way to sustainable energy. Beyond the well-known fission centrals, the necessity of cleaner, more efficient and almost unlimited energy reducing waste to almost zero is a major challenge in the next decades. This is the case with nuclear fusion. Different experimental installations to definitively control this nuclear power are proliferating in different countries. However, citizens in the surroundings of cities and villages where these installations are going to be settled are frequently reluctant because of doubts about the expected benefits and the potential hazards. In this framework, knowing the opinion of people and their perception of experimental fusion facilities is essential for researchers, administrations and rulemaking bodies planning future fusion plants. This is the case for IFMIF-DONES, a neutron irradiation facility to determine the most suitable materials for the future fusion reactors. The construction of this installation is starting in Escúzar (Granada, Spain), and this work presents a large survey among 311 people living or working in the village. Their perception, fears, hopes and other variables are analyzed, and the conclusions for future installations and their impact on the energy policy are presented.


2020 ◽  
Vol 178 ◽  
pp. 01029
Author(s):  
Mikle Egorov ◽  
Ivan Kasatkin ◽  
Ivan Kovalenko ◽  
Irina Krectunova ◽  
Nataliya Lavrovskaya ◽  
...  

Systems of moisture separators - reheaters (SMSR) were created simultaneously with the powerful turbines development of nuclear power plants operating on a wet steam from the early 60s of the 20th century. This lengthy experience made the opportunity to identify the moisture separators - reheaters (MSRs) drawbacks, to determine the objectives for their design and computation improvement in order to increase thermodynamic efficiency, MSR devices and MSR systems reliability in general. Based on maintenance experience and results of our and other researchers’ model and field studies this article discusses potential ways of further development and improvement, taking into consideration both SMSR components (separation and reheating) under conditions of their flow in one apparatus.


Author(s):  
Bea Labor ◽  
Staffan Lindskog

A major prerequisite in order for civilian commercial nuclear energy production to qualify as sustainable energy production is that systems for the management of the nuclear waste legacy are in operation. These waste types are present in a range from very low short lived waste (VLLW) to long lived high level waste (HLW) (including the used nuclear fuel). The second prerequisite is that financial responsibilities or other constraints must not be passed on to coming generations. The first condition for qualification corresponds to the Polluters Pays Principle (PPP) which demands that the responsibility for the waste management rests solely with the polluter. The second qualification corresponds to the principle of fairness between generations and thus concerns the appropriate distribution of responsibilities between the generations. It is important to note that these two conditions must be met simultaneously, and that compliance with both is a necessary prerequisite in order for commercial use of nuclear power to qualify as a semi-sustainable energy source. Financial and technical planning for dismantling and decommissioning of nuclear installations cannot be regarded as successful unless it rests upon a distinctive way to describe and explain the well-founded values of different groups of stakeholders. This cumbersome task can be underpinned by transparent and easy to grasp models for calculation and estimation of future environmental liabilities. It essential that a systematic classification is done of all types of costs and that an effort is done to evaluate the precision level in the cost estimates. In this paper, a systematic and transparent way to develop a parametric approach that rest upon basic accounting standards is combined with data about younger stakeholder’s values towards decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear installation. The former entity rests upon theoretical and practical methods from business administration, whilst the latter is based on current survey data retrieved from 667 personal interviews in one town in Poland and one town in Slovakia with a near 100 % response rate. The main conclusions from this field study may be summarised as follows: • Sustainable energy sources are prioritised. • Around one quarter of the respondents regards nuclear power as a future semi-sustainable commercial energy production mode subject to that the waste is managed in a sustainable, environmental friendly and safe way. • The values are to a significant degree positioned on health, safety and environmental (HSE) attributes. • The polluter pays principle is honoured. • There are doubts regarding the compliance with these principles due to risks for delays in the implementation phase of repositories for disposal of the nuclear residues. • 1/5th of the respondents expressed an openness to reprocessing (which is linked to the concept of “new nuclear power”).


2012 ◽  
Vol 4 (6) ◽  
pp. 1173-1187 ◽  
Author(s):  
Joshua M. Pearce

ANRI ◽  
2020 ◽  
pp. 31-44
Author(s):  
Aleksey Ekidin ◽  
Aleksey Vasil'ev ◽  
Maksim Vasyanovich ◽  
Evgeniy Nazarov ◽  
Mariya Pyshkina ◽  
...  

The article presents the results of field studies in the area of the Belarusian NPP in the pre-operational period. The «background» contents of gamma-emitting radionuclides in individual components of the environment are determined. The main array of dose rate measurements in the area of the NPP construction site is in the range 0.048 ÷ 0.089 μSv/h. External radiation in the surveyed area is formed at 96% due to 40K, 226Ra and 232Th. The information obtained can be used to correctly interpret the data of future radiation monitoring during normal operation of nuclear power plants.


1983 ◽  
Vol 25 (3) ◽  
pp. 377-415 ◽  
Author(s):  
Margarete K. Luddemann

The pivotal role energy plays in national economics not only converts the access to sources of supply into a vivid issue of foreign policy concern, but also causes an understandable preoccupation with investment capabilities and self-sufficiency. A report prepared by the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in 1974 predicted a bright future for nuclear energy in the i developing countries and encouraged use of this form of energy after numerous field studies.A nation that commits itself to nuclear energy by purchasing nuclear power-generating technology but not fuel cycle facilities incurs the risk of becoming dependent upon the supplier country because a quick switch to alternative sources of supply is difficult in cases of curtailment of fuel.


Nanoscale ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (47) ◽  
pp. 22173-22179 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kai Li ◽  
Jingwen Ma ◽  
Xinglong Guan ◽  
Hongwei He ◽  
Min Wang ◽  
...  

Electrolyzing water as a sustainable energy source is a promising and appealing method to resolve the environmental crisis.


GCB Bioenergy ◽  
2012 ◽  
Vol 5 (4) ◽  
pp. 367-374 ◽  
Author(s):  
Francesco Patuzzi ◽  
Tanja Mimmo ◽  
Stefano Cesco ◽  
Andrea Gasparella ◽  
Marco Baratieri

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