Problem
Environmental hazards of decommissioned nuclear power plants
Other Names:
Lack of practical experience on decommissioning nuclear power stationsWaste of resources in obsolete nuclear power plants
Excessive cost of decommissioning nuclear reactors
Nature:
The ultimate waste from a nuclear power plant is the plant itself. A commercial reactor can only operate for thirty to forty years. When it stops operating, 15 to 20% of its contents remain radioactive. A closed-down reactor could be even more dangerous than one that is operating, because many of the security devices may have been removed. Dismantling a reactor is the only way to guarantee safety, but no one is certain if dismantling is feasible.
Incidence:
By the turn of the century, one hundred reactors around the world may have shut down, and by 2020 all 233 commercial reactors in operation in 1979 may be ready for the graveyard.
Broader Problems:
Excessive costsObsolete industriesInadequate product life cycle analysisEnvironmental pollution by nuclear reactorsEnvironmental hazards of nuclear power productionNuclear legacy Related Problems:
Energy crisisLack of fire-fighting facilitiesDubious energy budget of nuclear power plants Reduces:
Radiation accidents Strategies:
Developing methods for permanent disposal of nuclear wasteDeveloping nuclear powerDecommissioning nuclear power stations Subject(s):
Commerce → FinanceCommerce → Purchasing, supplying
Education → Educational level
Environment → Environment
Industry → Industrial plant
Industry → Utilities
Research, Standards → Laboratories
Resources → Energy
Resources → Resources
Societal Problems → Hazards
Societal Problems → Obsolescence
Societal Problems → Scarcity
Societal Problems → Waste
Related UN Sustainable Development Goals:
Problem Type:
E: Emanations of other problems Date of last update
04.10.2020 – 22:48 CEST