Nuclear Fission: A System Good Analysis
摘要
With its vast array of interlinked processes and assets, providing nuclear fission energy is a highly complex undertaking. In this chapter, we define nuclear power as a so-called system good following the definition of Beckers et al. (2012). We first provide an overview of the technical system of each of the main components of the nuclear system good, i.e., (i) the front-end, comprising of mining, enrichment, and fuel fabrication, (ii) the middle section, i.e., the construction, operation, and decommissioning of nuclear power plants, (iii) the back-end, consisting of interim and final storage of nuclear waste and reprocessing, and (iv) the military sector. For the first three sections, corresponding to so-called civil applications of nuclear power, we then provide detailed organizational models and identify underlying actors, thereby highlighting the substantial level of state involvement across the whole system good. This chapter provides an overview of the processes and assets required to provide energy from nuclear fission and serves as a basis for the remaining chapters that delve deeper into the different parts of the system good.