The financing system
In the early 1980s the Riksdag (Swedish parliament) devised a financing system to finance the costs of future management and disposal of nuclear fuel.
Under this system, the holder of a licence to operate a nuclear facility that gives rise to waste products pays a special fee to the state.
The fee is levied at a given rate per kWh of electricity delivered by the nuclear power plants. Since 2008 the fee can also be determined as an amount in kronor, to be paid for example by a fee-liable licensee who no longer delivers nuclear energy.
For the first 14 years the fees were deposited in interest-bearing accounts at the Riksbank (Swedish central bank). Since 1996 the funds are managed by the Nuclear Waste Fund, which is a government authority.
Each nuclear power company and other fee-liable licensee is fully responsible for all its costs, even if the fees accumulated in the Fund should not be sufficient. The party responsible for paying the nuclear waste fee must therefore provide a guarantee to the state for the costs the fee is intended to cover, but which are not covered by the paid-in and accumulated fees.
The principle for the financing of the disposal of nuclear waste is that the nuclear power industry should be liable for the costs. If it turns out that a reactor owner cannot pay, and Fund assets and guarantees are insufficient, the state — and thereby the taxpayers — will in the end have to contribute the necessary funds. As of 1 January 2008, the state is entitled to charge the nuclear power companies a risk fee for this risk.
The fee is levied at a given rate per kWh of electricity delivered by the nuclear power plants. Since 2008 the fee can also be determined as an amount in kronor, to be paid for example by a fee-liable licensee who no longer delivers nuclear energy.
For the first 14 years the fees were deposited in interest-bearing accounts at the Riksbank (Swedish central bank). Since 1996 the funds are managed by the Nuclear Waste Fund, which is a government authority.
Each nuclear power company and other fee-liable licensee is fully responsible for all its costs, even if the fees accumulated in the Fund should not be sufficient. The party responsible for paying the nuclear waste fee must therefore provide a guarantee to the state for the costs the fee is intended to cover, but which are not covered by the paid-in and accumulated fees.
The principle for the financing of the disposal of nuclear waste is that the nuclear power industry should be liable for the costs. If it turns out that a reactor owner cannot pay, and Fund assets and guarantees are insufficient, the state — and thereby the taxpayers — will in the end have to contribute the necessary funds. As of 1 January 2008, the state is entitled to charge the nuclear power companies a risk fee for this risk.
For more information, see the Nuclear Waste Fund´s Annual Report for 2010.
Uppdaterad av: Anna Major, 2011-05-05 15.58
Kärnavfallsfonden, c/o Kammarkollegiet, Box 2218, 103 15 Stockholm, Tel: 08-700 08 00, Fax: 08-20 38 81, E-post: karnavfallsfonden@kammarkollegiet.se