Underground repositories, reprocessing facilities and floating nuclear power plants: liability issues revisited
Abstract
In some countries, spent nuclear fuel is considered a radioactive waste and its final disposal is required; in others, spent fuel is reprocessed to recover fission materials for further use. In the 2020s, construction of two new underground repositories is planned in Finland and Sweden, while other countries such as France are also working towards such a goal soon.
At the same time, the European Repository Development Organisation is actively studying the feasibility of construction of one or more shared underground repositories in Europe. Further, France, India, Japan, the Russian Federation and the United Kingdom are operating reprocessing facilities, both as part of their energy security strategy and to reduce the volume of waste to be disposed of.
As all these installations involve certain degrees of risk, this paper addresses the liability regime applicable to them. Further, as the Rosatom Corporation recently launched its first mass-produced floating nuclear power plant, attention is also paid to those issues arising from a prospective use of this technology, which will enable delivery of electric energy, while the spent fuel produced will be taken away by the nuclear vessel.