Editing Nuclear power (section)

== Decommissioning ==
{{Main|Nuclear decommissioning}}
Nuclear decommissioning is the process of dismantling a [[nuclear facility]] to the point that it no longer requires measures for radiation protection,<ref>{{Cite journal|date=2020-09-01|title=Developing policies for the end-of-life of energy infrastructure: Coming to terms with the challenges of decommissioning|journal=Energy Policy|language=en|volume=144|page=111677|doi=10.1016/j.enpol.2020.111677|issn=0301-4215|doi-access=free|last1=Invernizzi|first1=Diletta Colette|last2=Locatelli|first2=Giorgio|last3=Velenturf|first3=Anne|last4=Love|first4=Peter ED.|last5=Purnell|first5=Phil|last6=Brookes|first6=Naomi J.|bibcode=2020EnPol.14411677I |hdl=11311/1204791|hdl-access=free}}</ref> returning the facility and its parts to a safe enough level to be entrusted for other uses.<ref name="iaea_decommissioning">{{cite web |title=Decommissioning of nuclear installations |url=https://www.iaea.org/topics/decommissioning |website=www.iaea.org |access-date=19 April 2021 |language=en |date=17 October 2016 |archive-date=21 April 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210421073553/https://www.iaea.org/topics/decommissioning |url-status=live }}</ref> Due to the presence of radioactive materials, nuclear decommissioning presents technical and economic challenges.<ref>{{Cite journal|last1=Invernizzi|first1=Diletta Colette|last2=Locatelli|first2=Giorgio|last3=Brookes|first3=Naomi J.|date=2017-08-01|title=How benchmarking can support the selection, planning and delivery of nuclear decommissioning projects|journal=Progress in Nuclear Energy|volume=99|pages=155–164|doi=10.1016/j.pnucene.2017.05.002|bibcode=2017PNuE...99..155I |url=http://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/117185/1/Copy%20to%20deposit.pdf|access-date=2021-04-19|archive-date=2021-06-14|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210614050809/https://eprints.whiterose.ac.uk/117185/1/Copy%20to%20deposit.pdf|url-status=live}}</ref> The costs of decommissioning are generally spread over the lifetime of a facility and saved in a decommissioning fund.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/decommissioning.html |title=Backgrounder on Decommissioning Nuclear Power Plants |publisher=United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission |access-date=27 August 2021 |quote=Before a nuclear power plant begins operations, the licensee must establish or obtain a financial mechanism – such as a trust fund or a guarantee from its parent company – to ensure there will be sufficient money to pay for the ultimate decommissioning of the facility |archive-date=3 May 2021 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210503213818/http://www.nrc.gov/reading-rm/doc-collections/fact-sheets/decommissioning.html |url-status=live }}</ref>