Competitive Pressures

摘要

A wide range of specialised equipment, materials and services is needed to sup-port the design, construction, operation and fuelling of nuclear power plants. This includes the supply of plants themselves, the materials and services required in the nuclear fuel cycle, and the services and equipment needed for maintenance and upgrading. To ensure that nuclear power is competitive with other energy sources, it is important that owners and operators of nuclear power plants can benefit from competitive markets. The industries that provide these goods and services have changed substantially as they have evolved from the government-led early stages of the nuclear industry, and most sectors now operate as competitive commercial markets.