Using socio-technical analogues as an additional experience horizon for nuclear waste management A comparison of wind farms, fracking, carbon capture and storage (CCS) with a deep-geological nuclear waste disposal (DGD)

Abstract

Energy technologies can be described as socio-technical ensembles, in which social, political, economic and technical dimensions are embedded. Based on this concept as well as other theoretical approaches dealing with the deployment and development of technologies (e.g. the multi-level perspective of Geels (2002)) this contribution investigates the dynamics and interactions that can occur within the socio-technical ensemble of a deep geological disposal (DGD) for high-level radioactive waste (HLRW). We compare socio-technical analogues and relate findings of three energy technologies with large-scale infrastructures to a DGD. The analysis is based on a systematic literature review and aims to gain indirect knowledge for nuclear waste management (NWM) deduced from the dynamics within the socio-technical ensembles of wind farms, fracking and carbon dioxide capture and storage (CCS). The analysis is based on a systematic literature review along four central dimensions with eight respective criteria e.g. public participation, conflicts, role of science, etc.