Applying and adapting the Swedish regulatory system for decommissioning to nuclear power reactors – The regulator's perspective

Highlights: • The paper gives a comprehensive overview over. • The Swedish regulatory system for decommissioning of nuclear reactors. • Recent and ongoing decommissioning projects of nuclear facilities in Sweden. • Lessons learned from the application of the existing regulations. • New licence conditions for nuclear power reactors under decommissioning. - Abstract: Half of the original 13 Swedish nuclear power reactors will be shut down by 2020. The decommissioning of these reactors is a challenge for all parties involved, including the licensees, the waste management system, the financing system, and the Swedish Radiation Safety Authority (SSM). This paper presents an overview of the Swedish regulations for decommissioning of nuclear facilities. It describes some of the experiences that SSM has gained from the application of these regulations. The focus of the present paper is on administrative aspects of decommissioning, such as SSM's guidelines, the definition of fundamental concepts in the regulatory framework, and a proposed revision of the licensing process according to the Environmental Act. These improvements will help to streamline the administration of the commercial nuclear power plant decommissioning projects that are anticipated to commence in Sweden in the near future.