Abstract
One of the major historical arguments of the promoters of the use of nuclear power was its low cost compared to other electricity generation technologies. For a long time, it was argued that a strong nuclear power contribution to electricity supplies was the best way to achieve a reliable and affordable electricity supply. However, from the first wave of nuclear reactors deployed, construction costs have been on an escalation course.
The core objective of this paper is to analyze the historical development of the costs – especially the investment costs – of nuclear power plants. With respect to these in recent years in Western countries there is a strong perception: Realized costs has always been higher than forecast costs and construction times promised have almost never been met. Given the reasons identified for these cost increases – and their irreversibility – we conclude that the time of “cheap” electricity from nuclear power is undoubtedly over if it has ever existed and for the next years there are no signs of a reversal of the current upward cost trend.
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Haas, R., Thomas, S., Ajanovic, A. (2019). The Historical Development of the Costs of Nuclear Power. In: Haas, R., Mez, L., Ajanovic, A. (eds) The Technological and Economic Future of Nuclear Power. Energiepolitik und Klimaschutz. Energy Policy and Climate Protection. Springer VS, Wiesbaden. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25987-7_5
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-25987-7_5
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