The Financing Act stipulates that future expenses for dismantling of Nuclear Power Plants (NPP) shall be financed from segregated funds that are supervised by the Swedish Nuclear Waste Fund (SNWF).
Transparency of and confidence in the process to ensure collection of sufficient funds is fundamental for the acceptance and sustainability of the Swedish model for estimating environmental liabilities related to dismantling of NPPs in Sweden.
The aim of this study has been to test the reasonableness of the available data on estimated dismantling costs for Ringhals-2, substantially by making a comparison with the actual cost of dismantling the Trojan NPP in the U.S. and supported by other benchmark data derived from U.S. dismantling projects underway or completed at the Zion and Rancho Seco NPPs.
The conclusions of the study suggest that the present interim estimates made by SKB for Ringhals-2 dismantling probably are on the lower side i.e. there is a risk that the estimated future cost for dismantling of Ringhals-2 may be underestimated. The extent of any such underestimate is strongly dependent on assumptions for differences in labour rates and productivity. With the most favourable assumptions about Swedish relative productivity the level of underestimation is estimated to be minimal. On the contrary, with lower productivity the degree of under-estimation can be substantial.