Seismic probabilistic safety assessment (SPSA) is a systematic method for examining and evaluating the risk from earthquake-initiated accidents. The significant advances in the area of SPSA since the initial publication in 2002 of Technical Opinion Paper No. 2: Seismic Probabilistic Safety...

Climate change will create specific risks and challenges for nuclear power plants and the electricity system as a whole. Extreme weather events caused by climate change – such as floods, storms, heat waves and droughts – have already affected the operation of nuclear power plants. Any...

A bill to establish an Authority and such other regulatory bodies for regulation of radiation safety or nuclear safety and achieving highest standards of such safety based on scientific approach, operating experience and best practices followed by nuclear industry and to ensure that the use of...

What increase in probability the Fukushima Dai-ichi event does entail? Many models and approaches can be used to answer these questions. Poisson regression as well as Bayesian updating are good candidates. However, they fail to address these issues properly because the independence assumption in...

In recent years, small modular reactors (SMRs) have been attracting considerable attention around the world. SMR designs incorporate innovative approaches to achieve simplicity, modularity and speed of build, passive safety features, proliferation resistance, and reduced financial risk. The...

Between 1990 and 2000 the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Commission of the European Communities conducted a joint uncertainty analysis of accident consequences for nuclear power plants. This study remains a benchmark for uncertainty analysis of large models involving high risks with...

The article addresses the potential role of geosciences in development of civilian nuclear power plants (NPPs). We firstly highlight the fact that the Fukushima accident of 2011 is different from previous major nuclear accidents at the Three Mile Island and Chernobyl in that the former was...

Detailreich-kritische Geschichte der Nutzung der Kernenergie in Deutschland, beginnend mit der naiven Euphorie der 1950er-Jahre über die Protestbewegungen bis hin zum durch Tschernobyl und Fukushima mitverursachtem Niedergang. (Rolf Raschka)

Drawing on a dataset suitable for macroeconomic analysis, the paper provides an overview of the magnitudes, purpose and institutional implications of EU-related transfers to and from the new member states. A rough analysis of accounting identities and first-round effects shows that EU funds may...

The lack of reliable, accessible and affordable energy hinders development in Sub-Saharan Africa, the poorest region in the world. Nuclear power promises to be the cheapest and most reliable source of electricity for many African countries. Nuclear power plants (typically 250 MWe in capacity or...

Objectives and content of the journal special issue on 'Prospects for nuclear energy in the 21st century' are introduced. It is concluded that the main reasons for considering nuclear power in the national energy portfolios include hedging against supply security risks and high fossil energy...

This paper presents an analysis of the prospects for nuclear energy development in the Eastern European countries of Belarus and Ukraine and in the Caucasian countries of Armenia, Azerbaijan and Georgia. The main focus is on Ukraine, but some reference is made to the prospects for energy...