Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE
Swiss Federal Office of Energy SFOE
Beginn Inhaltsbereich
Financing
The producers of radioactive waste must bear the costs that are incurred in association with the disposal of radioactive waste ("user pays" principle). It is the operators of nuclear power plants who are responsible for the disposal of waste produced from nuclear energy, while the federal State (Swiss Confederation) is responsible for waste from healthcare, industry, and research.
Costs of waste disposal incurred during the operating life of nuclear power plants are paid continuously by the operators. Such costs include costs for research and preparatory work, reprocessing spent fuel elements, construction of interim storage facilities, purchase of means of transport and storage receptacles. By the time each facility is decommissioned, it is estimated that these costs will amount to approximately 7 billion francs.
The purpose of the decommissioning fund is to cover the costs for decommissioning and dismantling of nuclear power plants whose service life has ended, for waste disposal and to restore the site of the former facility.
The disposal fund will be used to cover the cost of disposal of operating waste and spent fuel elements after plants are taken out of service.
The decommissioning fund and the disposal fund are two independent funds maintained by the yearly contributions of the nuclear power plant operators. Together the funds will have to provide about 11.4 billion francs.
Ende Inhaltsbereich