World Nuclear Association 38th Annual Symposium September 2013, Central Hall Westminster, London Nuclear Operation and Radioactive Waste Management Zoltan J Kiss

Our nuclear operating experience has two priorities today (1)safety of the operation and (2)reliability of the supply This basic concept is proposed to be adjusted and extended by the priorities of (3) waste management. This concept is about more than (just) temporary treatment, accumulation and storage of radioactive waste at nuclear sites.

Waste management as principal function of nuclear operation means minimisation and reduction of all types of generated by operation, gaseous, liquid and solid radioactive waste of all activity levels ; management and full treatment. No more temporary solutions rather active radioactive waste management. Is this also the business interest of the entire nuclear industry, all together operators, waste experts and suppliers?

Operation with efficient waste management needs new approach Nuclear sites today: - long years of operation with accumulation of radioactive waste. - conditioning and waste treatment, final storage, repository and management are responsibility of others, different than operators. But nuclear industry cannot progress leaving wastes behind, without immediate and efficient management of generated nuclear waste, without responding in practice to the sensitive waste related concern of the society.

Nuclear industry has to meet the challenge There is no way to postpone the response, expecting solutions from the future and from decommissioning. Governments, nuclear operators, suppliers cannot leave this weak point without change. Nuclear industry cannot strengthen, cannot justify its future without sorting out the waste conflict. In the contrary, will lose its arguments, obvious results, benefits and positive impact to the economy as energy source

The change needs strategy This priority adjustment will raise plenty of technical, managerial, environmental and financial issues. The reason is simple: nuclear power plants have not been built up with the request of functioning as waste treatment facilities. The strategy needs:  argumentation of the concept, supported by the regulator  free competition with available technology and  ways of financing of the investment.

Careful approach technical, legal and commercial consequences Changes in the concept, the design and the construction of nuclear power plants. Update of regulatory documents but new built constructions shall be controlled by the same rules as the operating ones.  The existing competitive environment at the supply side needs time for being fully prepared without any damage in the competition!  Treatment and conditioning of radioactive waste, accumulated at nuclear sites can be posed as immediate task, subject to free competition.

Nuclear operation provides sufficient guaranties to financial institutions Priceless expertise Financing with no specific issues. Agreement with government might provide options for financing the upgrade by the use of decommissioning funds. Is the financing within the responsibility of nuclear operators more risky, less efficient and more complicated?

New perspectives without new nuclear power plants Helps the nuclear industry to progress and to mobilise priceless expertise and knowledge available Sites of nuclear operation will be driven and interested to upgrade and modify waste treatment technologies for meeting the new requirement for the benefit of the environment and all of us. The benefit will be twofold:  progress of the technology of nuclear operation,  stop the accumulation of radioactive waste at nuclear sites.

In summary  Nuclear industry cannot be divided into two parts as it has been today: operation and waste management Nuclear operators shall take care of nuclear waste.  The nuclear future needs renewal and change. This is as important as building of new operating capacities. Nuclear operation is with consequences, but those have been managed without compromise  Nuclear industry is the driving force of the economy. The progress of the nuclear industry means: Investments mobilise capacities, engagement of the design and the construction industry = = progress of the economy in whole.