Safety and environmental aspects of nuclear process plants

A stanard HTR as a heat source for different processes is described. Attention is paid to the inherent safety features and some engineered safeguards e.g. the residual heat removal system and the containment. The influence of an underground containment on safety and costs is discussed. The safety of the reactor is assessed by estimating the probabilities and consequences of typical accidents. The contribution of those accidents to the unavailability of the reactor is calculated. Furthermore the question of environmental protection is investigated. Fossil and nuclear process plants are compared and the long range influence of nuclear process heat on the environment is estimated. (author)