Estimating the cost of nuclear accidents

Estimating the cost of nuclear accidents may appear as an insurmountable task. There are so many different consequences; some of these appear extremely volatile; in any case, climatic conditions play a major role. However, in the absence of such costs, no cost-benefit analysis can be envisaged in nuclear safety; furthermore, an intuitive feel for what a nuclear crisis would look like is practically impossible to develop. This paper outlines what methodology has ben used in IRSN. It insists on the need to cover all major cost components. It stresses the value of accompanying estimation figures with a 'story telling' narrative in order to describe the resulting picture in simple, accessible words. (author)