With climate change high on the agenda, investments in renewables are increasing. When it comes to nuclear energy, though, the path forward is a bit unclear, especially in terms of waste disposal.
When most of Europe’s nuclear power plants were under construction 5 decades ago, what would be done with them at the end of their lifecycle was not a question much dwelled upon. However, this day is rapidly approaching as most of them were designed to last roughly 40 years in operation. According to the World Nuclear Association, there are currently 15 reactors in use in the UK, which account for one fifth of the electricity supply. However, by 2050 almost half of these sites will be closed as they would reach their expiration date, posing questions for the safety of the process and the future of nuclear energy.
When a power plant can’t operate anymore, a decision is made on how to shut it down and how the toxic waste would be handled in line with the Funded Decommissioning Programme and The Energy Act 2008. According to a footage by BBC 4, the first challenge is how to safely remove the toxic waste. At Sellafield, a nuclear decommissioning site in the UK, it is usually sealed in a glass cage and then isolated in steel cylinders in a safe warehouse, which would keep radiation levels within norms. The materials are stored long-term, until they could be deemed less harmful hundreds of years in the future. Much of the process is mechanised, using robots to avoid life-threatening risks from radioactive waste.
The next step is to dismantle the rest of the station, a process in which radiation levels are carefully measured. Parts of the power plant, which are within nuclear norms are recycled. The rest is carefully isolated and stored to allow for the toxic materials to de-contaminate.
The overall problem, though, persists – what will be done with the nuclear waste. The current plan is for all the toxic material to be buried deep underground. However, it will most likely remain radioactive for hundreds of years according to a report on nuclear power by the National Audit Office. This process of storage is very costly and there are no guarantees whether the threat would be fully neutralised. It seems that at the moment all we are doing is to keep the radioactive materials contained in the hopes that future generations will successfully deal with it. Long-term solutions are essential for future investments in the building of new nuclear power plants. This, and more questions, need to be answered if nuclear energy is to be in line with other renewables.
