Barcelona (Platts)--10Jul2008

UK taxpayers could end up paying for decommissioning new reactors in the
UK, according to a House of Commons select committee report on the Nuclear
Decommissioning Authority. The authority "is unable to provide complete
assurance that the costs of decommissioning new nuclear power stations will
not fall back on future taxpayers," the committee concluded in a report
published July 10. Among the report's other findings were that the estimated
undiscounted cost of decommissioning existing civilian nuclear sites reached
61 billion pounds (US$120.5 billion) in 2007 and is likely to rise further.
The report criticized the NDA for failure to analyze details of civilian
sites' estimated cost estimates; for overspending on "support costs," for
program changes at short notice running up costs, and for other issues. The
report is at www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm/cmpubacc.htm.