Updating Ontario Power Generation's Decommissioning Cost Estimates

Abstract

Canadian regulations require that planning for decommissioning take place throughout a licensed facility’s lifetime. As such, decommissioning plans and associated financial guarantees are updated and are required to be submitted to the Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) to support licence conditions. The Financial Guarantee is supported by decommissioning funds that have been set aside for Ontario Power Generation’s (OPG’s) decommissioning liabilities. OPG has recently completed their decommissioning cost estimate update that is normally performed on a five year review cycle. OPG has adopted a nominal 30 year deferred decommissioning strategy for its’ nuclear generating stations as its planned approach.This paper provides an overview of the improvements made to OPG’s 2015 decommissioning cost estimates from the previous update performed in 2010 and the approach used. The technical assumptions and plans used in 2010 have been revised to include a more refined waste management strategy, incorporate recent Pickering safe storage planning assumptions and other important updates. This paper provides insight into the process used to validate the estimate and assumptions, challenges experienced, lessons learned and opportunities for future improvements to the estimate.