Assessment of the underground construction of nuclear power plants in the USA

Automatic translation:The report is intended to provide insight into the assessment of the underground construction of nuclear power plants (NPPs) in the USA. For this purpose, completed and ongoing investigations are used and the most important results of the discussions are summarized. It became clear that the assessment of a new construction method compared to the established above-ground one is ultimately only possible on the basis of a concept for the entire system and real site conditions. The direct transfer of the basic advantages and disadvantages of a design to the overall system safety is at least questionable. The evaluation of underground construction as an alternative to above-ground construction depends on the specific conditions and requirements within a country. For example, to put it bluntly, greater safety can be achieved against the most serious reactor accidents at locations in the ^desert^. for the assessment of a concept of little importance and can be of decisive importance for locations close to the population. For the reasons mentioned, I would like to address the special location situation in the USA, shed light on the NRC's position and list the most important studies with the assumptions made, concepts chosen and results. The appendix contains statements on the concept favored by ISE, which envisages the relatively flat embedding of important buildings in the ground and their subsequent filling.