Waste management costs and their financing

Through the consistent application of the “originator pays” concept, future generations should not be faced with uncovered costs.

Nuclear waste management includes all activities for handling radioactive waste up to placement in a geological deep repository. This includes waste treatment, the reprocessing of spent fuel elements, interim storage and emplacement in geological deep repository, as well as all associated transport. According to the most recent calculations presented in December 2016 by the operators to the administration commission of the decommissioning and waste disposal funds and published by them, the total waste disposal costs from the operation of the Swiss nuclear power plants totals around 22.8 billion Swiss Francs.

Total cost of decommissioning and management of radioactive waste for the Swiss nuclear energy scenario from the cost study 2016, as at 31.12.2015. Sorce: www.stenfo.ch

Part of the waste management costs already arise during the power plant operation, for example for the reprocessing of the nuclear fuel, the procurement of transport and storage containers, the research and preparation work of the National Association for the Storage of Radioactive Waste (NAGRA) or for the construction and operation of the central interim storage facility in Würenlingen. As of the end of 2015 this cost equated to around 5.6 billion Swiss Francs and was paid by the operators. Up to the end of the operation of the plants and for their post-operation, around 1.9 billion Swiss Francs will be added to this, which continue to be paid for by the operators.

To cover costs arising after the decommissioning standing funds were created under state supervision: These funds are augmented by the operators and the capital is – similarly to pension funds – invested in the financial markets. At the end of 2015 the capital accrued in the funds amounted to around 6.2 billion Swiss Francs and is substantially above the target values set out in the decommissioning and waste disposal fund directive (SEFV). The remaining amounts are covered up to the end of the operating period by fund contributions from the operators and by capital returns from the funds.

For more information on the funds see Decommissioning costs and financing.

Source: Swissnuclear http://www.swissnuclear.ch/en/decommissioning-and-waste-disposal-_content—1–1048–154.html(28.1.2016) and Nuklearforum, fact sheets, esp. Factsheet disposal costs, August 2015 as well as Stilllegungs- und Entsorgungsfonds, Dokumentation, esp. Factsheet No. 0 dated 18.05.2017.