Euradwaste '08 - EU Bookshop - Europa

ferent, the technological solutions vary and, finally, little information is available. In addition, the
implementation is organised in different ways and the funding schemes differ.
Some information of nuclear waste management costs has been published lately. A rough interpretation
of this data is the following:
- In Finland the costs of final disposal of 5,500 tU spent fuel is 3 billion in 2006 Euro [1].
- In USA the total cost of Yucca Mountain repository for 109,300 tU is $90 billion (about 60
billion Euro) [2].
- In Sweden the cost estimate for final disposal of 9,100 tU spent fuel is 35 billion SEK (about
3.5 billion Euro in 2007) [3].
- In UK the estimated disposal cost for an amount of 16,400 tU high level waste and spent fuel
is 12.2 billion £ in 2008 (15 billion Euro) [4].
- In Spain the total cost estimate for disposal of 6,800 tU spent fuel and high level waste is
about 3 billion in 2006 Euro [5].
It is essential to observe that the figures given above for the final disposal of spent fuel or high level
waste are not comparable as such. With all the limitations inherent in any comparison, the costs
seem to be in the order of 0.5 to 1.0 billion Euro per 1000 tU to be disposed of. Related to the number
of NPP units served by the disposal facility, the figures vary between 0.3 to 0.6 billion Euro per
unit. We only can comment the costs calculated for Finland, which are at the high end of the comparison:
they can be explained by the small number of NPP units and the very low utilisation rate of
disposal operations, which is a deliberate choice and not a result of cost optimisation.
5. Reflections and conclusions
Estimation of costs is indispensable for assessing the financial provisions needed for radioactive
waste management. It is also unavoidable to demonstrate that there exists a solution for waste management
that is economically feasible. The funds for radioactive waste management must be collected
in advance and they must be available when the waste management operations are carried
out.
Cost estimates for final disposal of spent fuel from Olkiluoto and Loviisa NPPs have been made
regularly since 1980. They have become more accurate in pace with the development in technology
and implementation plans. The developments have a twofold impact in cost estimates. In some
cases improvements in technology have reduced costs while in other cases new research results or
more stringent requirements have led to more expensive solutions.
The results of cost calculations are dependent on input parameters, some of which are based on
technical boundary conditions and some on economical and financial assumptions. The crucial
technical boundary conditions are obvious: quantity and burnup of spent fuel. Scheduling of disposal
activities is not only an economic issue, as it is dependent on the progress of the whole waste
management programme, including policy decisions. A data base of the relevant cost drivers must
be collected and the implementation costs of different alternatives must be estimated simultaneously
with design process.
The international development in high level waste management is characterised by continuous research
that produces new findings which often lead to new requirements. The combination of developing
requirements and the long lead times needed in the development of technical solutions
makes it difficult to fix the final design. This in turn necessitates repeated and revised cost calcula-
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