Speaker
Description
Experience to date has shown that planning for nuclear decommissioning, waste management and site remediation is associated with major uncertainties. This includes assumed reactor shutdown dates, which sometimes change significantly on short notice. Another example is assumed in-service dates of planned waste disposal facilities, for which long delays or project cancellations have become commonplace – an indication that the current paradigm is unsustainable.
The uncertainties regarding timing of major milestones mean that decommissioning plans tend to be based on assumptions that will not hold and, hence, likely are suboptimal. In addition, the timeline uncertainties translate into an increased risk of emergent issues that might have safety implications. By viewing nuclear decommissioning, waste management and site remediation through a sustainability lens, the impacts that such uncertainties may have can be mitigated.
In this paper, the uncertainties regarding timeline and their potential safety impacts will be explored by applying resilience thinking – a key concept within sustainability research. Cornerstones of what a resilience-based approach to nuclear back-end management would entail will be shared and discussed.
