Russia’s nuclear plants are ageing. Who will pay to dismantle them?
Summary
Russia has many old nuclear power plants, some over 50 years old, that will need expensive and long processes to safely shut down and dismantle. While Russia builds new plants abroad, it faces a large funding gap for dismantling its own aging reactors and managing radioactive waste, raising concerns about future safety and costs.Key Facts
- Some Russian nuclear reactors are over 50 years old and will soon need to be shut down.
- Decommissioning nuclear plants means safely closing and taking apart reactors, which costs a lot of money and takes many years.
- Lithuania had to close Soviet-built reactors as part of joining the EU; it has spent billions and delayed completion until 2049.
- Russia plans to close 35 reactors but estimates it will fall short by about 18.7 billion euros for dismantling work.
- Actual cleanup costs usually end up much higher than first predicted.
- Russia often stores reactors in long-term “safe” storage instead of fully dismantling them soon after closing.
- Decommissioning delays increase financial, technical, and safety risks.
- Russia faces an existing large amount of radioactive waste and expects to generate much more from future decommissioning.
- Economic problems in Russia raise concerns about who will pay for the expensive cleanup and waste management in the future.
- Countries where Russia is building new nuclear plants should consider the risks if Russia cannot maintain or safely close these plants later.
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