The bill for closing down and cleaning up the world’s ageing nuclear reactors will exceed $100bn, the leading energy watchdog will say today, warning that governments risk underestimating the cost.
With almost 200 reactors due to be shut down by 2040, the International Energy Agency says in its annual report there are “considerable uncertainties” about decommissioning costs, reflecting governments’ limited experience in safely dismantling nuclear plants. In the past 40 years, only 10 reactors have been closed down.
“This is an urgent area that needs consideration,” Fatih Birol, the IEA’s chief economist, told the Financial Times. He called on regulators and utilities to ensure enough funds were set aside to cover future expenses.