Nuclear power generates significant electricity; countries face unresolved spent fuel storage issues, exploring reprocessing and deep geological disposal options.
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Nuclear power generated nearly ten percent of global electricity in 2024, producing about 430,000 tons of spent fuel worldwide, much of which is managed temporarily. In Europe (excluding Russia and Slovakia), over 60,000 tons are stored, primarily in France. Final storage solutions for high-level radioactive waste remain unresolved in most places; only Sweden and France have designated sites, while the US project concerns nuclear weapons waste, not commercial reactor fuel. Bulgaria’s Kozloduj plant stores about 4,500 spent fuel canisters, which were supposed to be sent to Russia for reprocessing but haven’t since the 2022 attacks on Ukraine. An alternative exists in France, where technology allows new nuclear fuel to be created from spent fuel; France has offered reprocessing services to Bulgaria, with a plan to transport waste there after 2030 according to EU strategy. The Orano La Hague facility reprocesses fuel, recovering about 96% of the material for use as MOX fuel, which can reduce natural uranium demand by up to 25%. Spent fuel from Kozloduj, originally destined for Russia, is accumulating, and its wet storage capacity may run out by 2032, necessitating dry storage expansion by 2030. In Hungary, the Paks plant is crucial for electricity production, and while spent fuel is stored temporarily in wet and dry facilities, there is no final deep geological repository. Hungarian law mandates state responsibility for safe management, with the National Atomic Energy Authority overseeing compliance. The Hungarian government intends to modernize its nuclear infrastructure, including purchasing US technology for safer spent fuel storage. Other EU countries face similar challenges: Spain’s interim storage project stalled due to political and legal disputes; Romania is planning a deep geological repository in Dobrudja; and Czech plants are considering final storage locations despite local opposition.
