| Chair(s): |
Milena KOSTOVA, Canada |
Secretary: |
Haimanot YILMA (haimanot.yilma@oecd-nea.org) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Vice-Chair(s): |
Paolo GUI, Italy Jiyoon JUNG, Korea (Rep. of) Niklas BERGH, Sweden Heather BARTON, United Kingdom | ||
| Member(s): | All NEA member countries* | ||
| Russia (Suspended*) | |||
| *Russian Federation suspended pursuant to a decision of the OECD Council. | |||
| Full participant(s): |
European Commission Under the NEA Statute | ||
| Observer(s)(International Organisation): |
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) By agreement | ||
| Date of creation: | 01 June 2020 | ||
| End of mandate: | 31 May 2026 |
Mandate (Document reference):
Mandate (Document extract):
Extract of document NEA/DLM(2024)5/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. 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:
i) foster the exchange of information, knowledge and experience between its members on issues concerned with cost estimation, with a view to promoting collective learning and to enhance the credibility, reliability and auditability of the cost estimation process;
ii) describe good practices in the field of cost estimation for decommissioning and legacy management projects, including understanding of the risks associated with financial consequences in regard to cost estimating and financing; and planning for uncertainties, with an overall aim to assist members to develop robust and efficient project management processes, and examine the scope for achieving consensus on overall objectives and for developing common approaches;
iii) advise the WPMO on major and emerging issues in the area of cost estimation for decommissioning and legacy management, and provide appraisals of the state of the art with a view to consolidating knowledge and making it transferable to a variety of different audiences;
iv) define, conduct and oversee studies aimed at improving the transparency and reproducibility of cost estimates, including approaches to presentation and reporting estimates;
v) where necessary, organise topical sessions or workshops on specific topics of interest to the expert group and to the WPMO.
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)”. 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 the Expert Group on a Holistic Process for Decision Making on Decommissioning and Management of Complex Sites (HDCS), to leverage the expertise in the area of costing and encourage knowledge sharing.
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. When appropriate, the EGCDL may provide input relevant to the activities of these organisations and institutions.
Deliverables
The EGCDL will produce appropriate reports, presentations or workshops with the support of the Secretariat, including reports on:
