Europe is facing a €253bn bill for nuclear waste management and plant decommissioning which outstrips available funds by €120bn, according to a major stock-take of the industry by the European commission. The sum breaks down into €123bn for the decommissioning of old reactors and €130bn for the management of spent fuel, radioactive waste and deep geological disposal processes. Of the EU’s 16 nuclear nations, only the UK had enough money ring-fenced to cover the coming financial crunch, according to the Nuclear Illustrative Programme of the Commission (Pinc), which covers trends to 2050. Greenpeace EU’s energy policy adviser Tara Connolly said: “The €120bn figure is a whopping shortfall but it’s not surprising given that there is still no workable solution for the nuclear waste problem. With the huge resources needed to keep nuclear power alive, Europe could make a lot of progress towards a 100% renewable energy system instead.”
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