Seventy percent of all retired reactors around the world were undergoing decommissioning as of July, according to the latest World Nuclear Industry Status Report.
That figure covers 115 of 173 permanently shuttered reactor units, the report issued Tuesday says.
Nineteen reactors have been fully decommissioned, which the report defines as defueled, deconstructed, and dismantled. Thirteen of those are in the United States, five in Germany, and one in Japan. Of those, 10 have been remediated to “greenfield” status.
“If a 40-year average lifetime is assumed, a further 216 reactors will shut down by 2030 (reactors connected to the grid between 1978 and 1990); and an additional 111 will be shut down by 2057,” according to the report, prepared by nuclear energy consultant Mycle Schneider.
Thirty-four reactors have ceased operations in the United States — more than any other nation. Along with the 13 decommissioned units, another nine are undergoing some form of decommissioning operations. Schneider projected no fewer than 100 reactors will be in decommissioning mode by 2050.
The growing number of retired nuclear plants is connected to sites reaching the anticipated end of their operational life, along with market challenges in the atomic energy sphere, the report says. A number of U.S. utilities have emphasized the market in explaining their decisions in recent years to prematurely close facilities.
“Going forward, decommissioning in the U.S. faces a challenge of efficient dismantling, and of financing the process in a context of low electricity prices placing a further strain on the competitiveness of nuclear power plants, and low provisions on behalf of the companies,” the report says.
On average, the U.S. sites were decommissioned in 14 years. But in all three countries, decommissioning is not completed as early as anticipated, and largely took more time than building and operating the power plant.
The global decommissioning market is expected to grow to $1,000 billion by 2050, creating a need for increased understanding of decommissioning policy, rules, and markets, Schneider wrote.
