Editing Nuclear reactor (section)

=== Life-times ===
Modern nuclear power plants are typically designed for a lifetime of 60 years, while older reactors were built with a planned typical lifetime of 30–40 years, though many of those have received renovations and life extensions of 15–20 years.<ref>{{cite web |title=PRIS – Miscellaneous reports – Operational by Age |url=https://pris.iaea.org/PRIS/WorldStatistics/OperationalByAge.aspx |access-date=12 July 2024 |website=IAEA Power Reactor Information System – operational by age}}</ref> Some believe nuclear power plants can operate for as long as 80 years or longer with proper maintenance and management. While most components of a nuclear power plant, such as steam generators, are replaced when they reach the end of their useful lifetime, the overall lifetime of the power plant is limited by the life of components that cannot be replaced when aged by wear and [[neutron embrittlement]], such as the reactor pressure vessel.<ref name="dismantling_sci-am-2009">[https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nuclear-power-plant-aging-reactor-replacement-/ ''How Long Can a Nuclear Reactor Last?''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202073144/http://www.scientificamerican.com/article/nuclear-power-plant-aging-reactor-replacement-/ |date=2 February 2017 }} Paul Voosen, Scientific American, 20 Nov 2009</ref> At the end of their planned life span, plants may get an extension of the operating license for some 20 years and in the US even a "subsequent license renewal" (SLR) for an additional 20 years.<ref>[https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/subsequent-license-renewal.html ''Status of Subsequent License Renewal Applications.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121051705/https://www.nrc.gov/reactors/operating/licensing/renewal/subsequent-license-renewal.html |date=21 January 2018 }} NRC, 24 Feb 2022</ref><ref>[https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/whats-lifespan-nuclear-reactor-much-longer-you-might-think ''What's the Lifespan for a Nuclear Reactor? Much Longer Than You Might Think''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200609230342/https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/whats-lifespan-nuclear-reactor-much-longer-you-might-think |date=9 June 2020 }}. Office of Nuclear Energy, 16 Apr 2020</ref>

Even when a license is extended, it does not guarantee the reactor will continue to operate, particularly in the face of safety concerns or incident.<ref>{{Cite news |date=2006-08-05 |title=Swedish nuclear reactors shut down over safety concerns |url=https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Swedish_nuclear_reactors_shut_down_over_safety_concerns |newspaper=Wikinews |access-date=16 May 2023 |archive-date=16 May 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230516123219/https://en.wikinews.org/wiki/Swedish_nuclear_reactors_shut_down_over_safety_concerns |url-status=live }}</ref> Many reactors are closed long before their license or design life expired and are [[Nuclear decommissioning|decommissioned]]. The costs for replacements or improvements required for continued safe operation may be so high that they are not cost-effective. Or they may be shut down due to technical failure.<ref name="sapl-2017">[https://saplnh.org/about-nuclear/nuclear-plant-lifespans/ ''The True Lifespan of a Nuclear Power Plant''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219095448/https://saplnh.org/about-nuclear/nuclear-plant-lifespans/ |date=19 February 2023 }}. Seacoast Anti-Pollution League (SAPL), 2017</ref> Other ones have been shut down because the area was contaminated, like Fukushima, Three Mile Island, Sellafield, and Chernobyl.<ref>{{Cite book |last=IAEA |title=Cleanup of Large Areas Contaminated as a Result of a Nuclear Accident}}</ref> The British branch of the French concern [[EDF Energy]], for example, extended the operating lives of its [[Advanced Gas-cooled Reactor]]s (AGR) with only between 3 and 10 years.<ref name="edf-lifetime">[https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-lifetime-management ''Extending the operating lives of Advanced Gas-cooled Reactors''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219093947/https://www.edfenergy.com/energy/nuclear-lifetime-management |date=19 February 2023 }}. EDF Energy</ref> All seven AGR plants were expected to be shut down in 2022 and in decommissioning by 2028.<ref>[https://www.edfenergy.com/about/nuclear/decommissioning ''Nuclear decommissioning''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230219093959/https://www.edfenergy.com/about/nuclear/decommissioning |date=19 February 2023 }}. EDF (accessed Feb 2023)</ref> [[Hinkley Point B nuclear power station|Hinkley Point B]] was extended from 40 to 46 years, and closed. The same happened with [[Hunterston B nuclear power station|Hunterston B]], also after 46 years.

An increasing number of reactors is reaching or crossing their design lifetimes of 30 or 40 years. In 2014, [[Greenpeace]] warned that the lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants amounts to entering a new era of risk. It estimated the current European nuclear liability coverage in average to be too low by a factor of between 100 and 1,000 to cover the likely costs, while at the same time, the likelihood of a serious accident happening in Europe continues to increase as the reactor fleet grows older.<ref name="greenpeace-2014">[https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-netherlands-stateless/2018/06/Briefing-Lifetime-extension-of-ageing-nuclear-power-plants.pdf ''Lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants: Entering a new era of risk.''] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230315082620/https://www.greenpeace.org/static/planet4-netherlands-stateless/2018/06/Briefing-Lifetime-extension-of-ageing-nuclear-power-plants.pdf |date=15 March 2023 }} Greenpeace, March, 2014 (2.6&nbsp;MB). [https://inis.iaea.org/search/search.aspx?orig_q=RN:46030160 In German]</ref>