Euradwaste '08 - EU Bookshop - Europa

SESSION II: Economical factors governing geological disposal programmes
Chairman: Mr Thibaud Labalette, ANDRA, France
Introduction and objectives
In the EU there is a large range in the size of national nuclear power programmes and associated
RWM programmes, resulting in major differences regarding the availability of financial and human
resources as well as influencing political decision-making. The development and implementation of
the geological disposal option is often considered as expensive or even financially insurmountable,
in particular by Member States with very small nuclear programmes, in which the option is made
conditional on increased national nuclear capacity and hence higher revenues, or the development
of shared facilities.
Consequently, the objective of this session is to discuss the economic factors governing geological
disposal programmes, such as the cost of disposal compared to the overall cost of a nuclear programme,
the distribution of costs over the different phases of development of a disposal solution as
well as the principles, methods and timing for collecting waste management funds, including foreseen
contingencies. What mistakes have been made in the past that have led to the perception that
geological disposal is unaffordable, and how can these impasses be avoided in the case of future
initiatives?
The session will concentrate on discussing principles, parameters and relations rather than the detailed
cost of disposal. It could also provide some input to the following session on cooperation,
knowledge transfer and/or the potential sharing of facilities, especially for countries with small nuclear
programmes.
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