Between German phase-out and Chinese new-build rally: The situation of the nuclear industry worldwide five years after Fukushima

摘要

No one doubts that Fukushima was a turning point for the nuclear industry. But the reactions differed from country to country. Germany quickly voted for a gradual phase-out of nuclear energy. A few countries followed suit, like Belgium, which has meanwhile reverted to its lifetime extension policy. Most countries operating NPPs decided to perform comprehensive analyses of the robustness of their plants and initiated retrofits where needed. In this context robustness can be defined as sufficient safety margins that even remain if the impact of an event exceeds design limits.