Nuclear Liabilities Research Articles

The privatization of British Energy: Risk transfer and the state

Following the development of the New Right Agenda, Conservative Governments in Britain introduced incrementally an extensive privatization programme. This paper focuses on the failure of the last privatization of the Conservatives: British Energy, the company established to run the eight most modern nuclear power stations. A key argument used to justify the privatization of British Energy, the transfer of risk from the state to the private sector, is analyzed using the conceptual framework of the risk society thesis. The privatization led to the apparent transfer to the company of interrelated risks, particularly the nuclear liabilities risk. New Labor’s rescue of British Energy confirmed the reality, which was that residual responsibility for risk, especially the nuclear liabilities risk, remained with government. Despite the company’s collapse the Labor Government sought a market-based outcome, and in 2008 British Energy was sold to EDF, the French state-owned energy company. The paper concludes with a discussion of the implications of the failure of risk transfer for public policy, drawing on insights provided by the risk society thesis.

Demonstrating and Communicating the Value of Nuclear Decommissioning to Society

The UK Nuclear Decommissioning Authority (NDA) is a Non Departmental Public Body (NDPB) responsible for the remediation of the UK’s civil nuclear liabilities. To secure government funding and demonstrate that the NDA is delivering its mission, it must be able to show that it provides value for money across its estate. Value comes in many forms, such as an improved environment, hazard reduction, changes in sky line, social amenities, money, employment, and so forth. Depending on the perspective of the receiver, and their closeness to the affected area, the weighting placed on the different aspects of value will vary. Therefore, the challenge has been to get a consistent approach that measures value and is broadly acceptable to stakeholders in which different aspects are compared and decisions are made on a national basis.

Extending the Life Time of a Nuclear Power Plant: Impact on Nuclear Liabilities in the Czech Republic

Nuclear power plant (NPP) operators have several basic long-term liabilities. Such liabilities include storage, treatment and disposal of radioactive waste generated at the operators’ NPP, storage and management of nuclear fuel irradiated in the reactor of the operator’s NPP (“spent fuel”), disposal of the spent fuel (SF) or residues resulting from spent fuel reprocessing. Last but not least, the operator is liable for decommissioning its nuclear facilities. If the operator considers extending the life time of its NPP or if the construction of a new NPP is being evaluated by an investor, an integral part of the economic evaluation must be a comprehensive assessment of future incremental costs related to the above-mentioned long-term liabilities. An economic evaluation performed by standard methods (usually NPV, alternatively real options) leads to a decision either to proceed with the project or to shelve it. If the investor decides to go ahead with the project there can be an immediate impact on nuclear liabilities. The impact is not the same for all operator liabilities. Depending on the valid legislation and the nature of the liability, in some cases the extent of the liability must be immediately recalculated when a decision is made to proceed with the project, and the annual accrual of accumulated reserves / funds must be adjusted. In other cases, the change in liability is linked to the generation of additional radioactive waste or spent fuel. In the Czech Republic, responsibility for each of the nuclear liabilities is defined, as is the form in which the financial means are to be accumulated. This paper deals with the impact of NPP life time extension (alternatively NPP power up-rate or construction of a new NPP) on individual nuclear liabilities in the conditions of the Czech Republic.

Managing Nuclear Liabilities Conference?trailer

Managing Nuclear Liabilities Conference?trailer

Discharge reductions—value for money?

Through the Nuclear Liabilities Management Authority White Paper, the UKGovernment and the Regulators have signalled a commitment to further improving theoperation of the regulatory regime and to its operating within the principles ofproportionality, transparency, consistency and accountability which underpin theGovernment’s approach to regulation in general. Particular emphasis is placed uponensuring that there is greater consistency in the treatment of risk and hazard;proportionate and cost effective delivery of public, worker and environmental protection;and an open and transparently applied regulatory system. The paper uses thehistorical record of radioactive discharges from BNFL’s Sellafield reprocessingsite in the UK and seeks to identify what have been the key drivers for change,particularly over the past 20 years of significant discharge reductions. The paperexamines the current context for ongoing and future discharges from the site, and theincorporation of the use of the concepts of best practicable environmental option andbest practicable means. Intergovernmental commitments such as the OSPARSintra and Bremen statements and the developing UK policy framework are alsoconsidered, together with BNFL’s work with a wide range of ‘green’ stakeholders. Thepaper outlines the principal components of BNFL’s decision-making processes fordischarge control and abatement; and how these interact with the relevant externalpressures. It then analyses whether the overall drivers and outcomes align with thedeclared desire of the UK Government to ensure that the taxpayer receives value formoney in the new national arrangements for managing historic nuclear liabilities.

Nuclear Liabilities and Environmental Damages

Nuclear Liabilities and Environmental Damages

95/00457 Organising for the management of nuclear liabilities

95/00457 Organising for the management of nuclear liabilities