Funding Canada’s plan for the safe, long-term management of used nuclear fuel

Each waste owner pays a fair share of the costs The Minister of Natural Resources (now the Minister of Energy and Natural Resources) approved the funding formula in April 2009, and the NWMO is responsible for maintaining it. [...] Funding is in place for the entire lifecycle of Canada’s plan Many factors will affect the long-term cost of Canada’s plan, including the volume of used nuclear fuel to be managed, the location and design of the deep geological repository, surrounding infrastructure, rock type and characteristics, and length of time the site will be monitored following fuel placement. [...] Based on the expected volume of used fuel to be managed, the total lifecycle cost of APM — from the beginning of site selection in 2010 to the completion of the project about 175 years later — is approximately $26 billion (in 2020 dollars). [...] The NWMO’s cost estimates ensure waste owners will fund the entire cost of planning and building the repository, as well as the costs of getting the used fuel to the facility and operating it for decades to come. [...] The additional $8 billion included in the estimate will allow the NWMO to complete construction, transport the used fuel to the repository, as well as operate, close and monitor the facility.