| Chair(s): |
Niklas BERGH, Sweden |
Secretary: |
Soufiane MEKKI (soufiane.mekki@oecd-nea.org) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vice-Chair(s): |
Milena KOSTOVA, Canada Paolo GUI, Italy Jiyoon JUNG, Korea (Rep. of) Heather BARTON, United Kingdom | ||
| Member(s): | All NEA member countries* | ||
| Russia (Suspended*) | |||
| *Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. | |||
| EU participation: |
The European Union (EU) takes part in the work of the NEA, in accordance with the NEA Statute and the Supplementary Protocol to the Convention on the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. | ||
| Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement | ||
| Date of creation: | 01 June 2020 | ||
| End of mandate: | 31 May 2028 |
Mandate (Document reference):
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract of document NEA/DLM(2026)3/FINAL
Background
Establishing reliable cost estimates is an essential element of planning for decommissioning and legacy management projects. Quality cost estimates are necessary to ensure that the plans for decommissioning and legacy management projects are economically sound and provide a realistic basis for financial decisions. Quality cost estimates are also essential elements in wider aspects of project oversight, to include measures to control costs, meet deadlines, and completion of performance targets during project activities.
Building upon the work of the former Decommissioning Cost Estimation Group (DCEG) focused primarily on nuclear power plants, a need was identified to accurately calculate and demonstrate the validity of cost estimates for decommissioning and legacy management projects. There is a general trend towards showing greater levels of detail in cost estimates and providing a more explicit representation of the uncertainties bearing upon the final cost of projects. In order to enhance understanding of the estimate and confidence in the results, the analyses and calculations underpinning these provisions need to be traceable, the processes need to be comprehensible, and the estimated output should clearly correlate with the input data. It is therefore important to also consider aspects of quality assurance and how these aspects are addressed in an estimate. Cost estimating tools must continually improve to keep pace with evolving good practices, requirements, and stakeholder issues.
In order to further work on the development of approaches on costing issues, the Committee on Decommissioning of Nuclear Installations and Legacy Management (CDLM) has established the Expert Group on Costing for Decommissioning and Legacy Management (EGCDL) in 2020. The EGCDL works under the guidance of the Working Party on Management and Organisational Aspects of Decommissioning and Legacy Management (WPMO).
Scope
The EGCDL will address costing issues for decommissioning of nuclear installations and legacy management as a level three expert group.
Objectives
The EGCDL will:
Working methods
The mode of operation of the EGCDL is based upon plenary meetings and an ongoing, project-oriented working programme.
A Bureau consisting of the Chair and one or more Vice-Chairs will coordinate and facilitate the work of the EGCDL. The Bureau would preferably meet once or twice a year, with one meeting normally held in conjunction with the annual EGCDL plenary meeting.
Communication within the EGCDL will primarily take place through annual plenary meetings. The plenary meeting will be devoted to the following:
Additionally, the EGCDL: (i) will identify resources and schedules for its activities; (ii) will form task teams to work on specific projects and to organise workshops, as appropriate; and (iii) will annually review the programme of work and the effectiveness of the programme.
EGCDL will report its work progress to its parent working party, the WPMO.
In fulfilling its Mandate, the EGCDL will be primarily supported by the staff of the NEA Division of Radioactive Waste Management and Decommissioning.
Membership
The EGCDL is a task-oriented expert group. It will aim for a composition which includes a diverse range of experts in the field of cost estimation for decommissioning and legacy management, nominated by the member organisations of the CDLM and WPMO. This representation will be wide-ranging, including policymakers, regulators, implementers, and specialists in decommissioning and legacy management.
Interactions
Through the WPMO and the NEA Secretariat, the EGCDL will co-operate with other NEA standing technical committees and their subsidiary bodies when relevant, in particular, those of the Radioactive Waste Management Committee (RWMC), and the Committee for Technical and Economic Studies on Nuclear Development and the Fuel Cycle (NDC). It may also collaborate with the “Co-operative Programme for the Exchange of Scientific and Technical Information on Nuclear Installation Decommissioning Projects (CPD)” and “Waste Integration for Small and Advanced Reactor Designs (WISARD)”. The EGCDL will also co-operate with other CDLM groups, such as the Working Party on Technical, Environmental and Safety Aspects of Decommissioning and Legacy Management (WPTES) and other relevant expert groups.
The EGCDL will strive to co-ordinate as appropriate with other international organisations (e.g. IAEA, the European Commission) as well as other relevant organisations such as Generation IV International Forum (GIF). When appropriate, the EGCDL may provide input relevant to the activities of these organisations and institutions.
Deliverables
The EGCDL will produce appropriate reports, presentations, webinars or workshops with the support of the NEA Secretariat.
