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on 6/19/25 at 10:02 AM
Accurate cost estimates for decommissioning nuclear facilities are crucial for countries with nuclear installations. Since the 1980s, many countries have faced significant cost and schedule overruns due to factors such as immature radioactive waste management infrastructure, poor site characterisation and changes in national decommissioning policies. Efforts have been made to improve cost estimates and reduce overruns through better waste management, decontamination techniques and workforce development. From the 1980s to 2003, initial efforts focused on identifying problems and risks in cost estimation. Major studies, such as the Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants: Policies, Strategies and Costs report, highlighted the challenges in comparing decommissioning costs across countries due to differences in work breakdown structures and scope (NEA, 2003).
From 2003 to 2012, the development of the International Structure for Decommissioning Costing (ISDC) aimed to standardise cost reporting. The ISDC categorises decommissioning costs into 11 principal activities. Since 2012, adoption of the ISDC has remained limited despite its international recognition. The Cost Benchmarking for Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning report found that the nuclear sector lacks effective cost benchmarking capabilities compared to other industries (NEA, 2019).
This document includes a literature review and provides guidance on preparing data for cost benchmarking nuclear facility decommissioning projects, targeting those that are new to the ISDC community. It emphasises the importance of defining project boundaries and capturing assumptions to ensure accurate cost comparisons. It focuses on qualitative information required for high-quality data submissions; key cost areas for detailed data collection; and converting existing data into ISDC format.
