Nuclear plant restarts ‘likely to offer shorter deployment timescales’: IAEA

“In terms of added capacity to the grid, restarts of nuclear power plants to meet AI will have a limited contribution compared to new builds, but are likely to offer comparatively shorter deployment timescales,” says a spokesperson from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), which actively assists countries looking to establish or expand their nuclear power programme through technical expertise and capacity building. 

READ MORE: Old nuclear power plants being switched back on as AI drives demand

“Advantages of leveraging existing plant infrastructure – particularly if the plant was shut down before the operating licence expired – include access to experienced staff, demonstrated lower commercial risk relative to a new build and generally stronger community acceptance. The existing plant would likely have a shorter operational lifespan compared with a modern new build.

“Modernising legacy plant components and systems to meet rigorous engineering codes, standards and regulations is an engineering challenge. Major life extension projects undergoing such upgrades have been delivered on or ahead of schedule and on or under budget. A key reason for this is the existing workforce – the presence of utility engineering and project staff with decades of experience delivering and managing engineering projects, such as refuelling outages and plant upgrades. This institutional experience positions both the utility and their commercial partners extremely well to develop and deliver a major refurbishment or restart project.

“All nuclear power programmes are subject to rigorous technical and regulatory requirements to ensure safe operations. IAEA safety standards and technical reports provide the fundamental principles, requirements and recommendations that serve as a global reference for protecting people and the environment, and contribute to a harmonised high level of safety worldwide.

“Every restart will be unique, depending on, for example, the plant’s material condition at the time of shutdown, the duration of the shutdown, the extent of decommissioning work completed and the staff retention.”

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