CONSULTING

Of the 754 reactor constructions launched since 1951, at least 92 units (12.2 percent) in
17 countries have been abandoned, of which 87, according to the IAEA, between 1977 and 2012—
no earlier or later IAEA data available—at various stages after they had reached construction
status.
Over three-quarters (71) of the cancellations happened during a 12-year period between 1982
and 1993, 11 were decided prior to this period, and only 10 over the 20-year period between 1993
and 2012.
Close to three quarters (67 units) of all cancelled projects were in four countries alone—the
U.S. (40), Russia (15), Germany and Ukraine (six each). Some units were actually 100 percent
completed—including Kalkar in Germany and Zwentendorf in Austria—before the decision was
taken not to operate them.
There is no thorough analysis of the cumulated economic loss of these failed investments.
Operating Age
In the absence of any significant new-build and grid connection over many years, the average age
(from grid connection) of operating nuclear power plants has been increasing steadily and at mid-
2016 stands at 29 years, up from 28.8 a year ago (see Figure 13 and Figure 14). 34 Some nuclear
utilities envisage average reactor lifetimes of beyond 40 years up to 60 and even 80 years. In the
United States, reactors are initially licensed to operate for 40 years, but nuclear operators can
request a license renewal for an additional 20 years from the NRC.
As of June 2016, 81 of the 100 operating U.S. units have received an extension, with another
12 applications under NRC review. Since WNISR2015, seven license renewals (Davis-Besse,
Sequoyah 1-2, Braidwood 1-2, Byron 1-2) have been granted and an additional one applied for
(Waterford 3). 35
Many other countries have no specific time limits on operating licenses. In France, where the
country’s first operating Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) started up in 1977, reactors must
undergo in-depth inspection and testing every decade against reinforced safety requirements.
The French reactors have operated for 31.4 years on average, and the oldest have started the
process with the French Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN) evaluating each reactor before allowing
a unit to operate for more than 30 years. Only few got have passed the procedure yet and the
assessments are years behind schedule. They could then operate until they reach 40 years, which
is the limit of their initial design age. The French utility Électricité de France (EDF) has clearly
stated that, for economic reasons, it plans to prioritize lifetime extension beyond 40 years over
34 WNISR calculates reactor age from grid connection to final disconnection from the grid. In WNISR
statistics, “startup” is synonymous with grid connection and “shutdown” with withdrawal from the grid. In
previous editions of the WNISR, the reactor age was automatically rounded to the year. In order to have a
better image of the fleet and ease calculations, the age of a reactor is considered to be 1 between the first
and second grid connection anniversaries. For some calculations, we also use operating years: the reactor
is in its first operating year until the first grid connection anniversary, when it enters the second operating
year.
35 NRC, “Status of License Renewal Applications and Industry Activities”, Updated 14 April 2016, see
http://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/applications.html, accessed 1 July 2016.
Mycle Schneider, Antony Froggatt et al. 33 World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2016