
314 Engineering Response to Climate Change
(IAEAPRIS2011). In total, 37% of the currently operating reactors are more
than 30years old. License renewal of older reactors has become more com-
mon. In the United States, where the majority of the older reactors reside,
the original operating licenses of 40 years have been, or are in the process
of being, extended to 60 years (U.S. NRC 2011a; U.S. NRC/DOE 2008). Life
extensions of older reactors are also occurring in France and Russia, with
license extension periods dependent on specic reactor types and national
regulatory policies (WNA 2012b; WNA 2012c).
Regardless of the ultimate operating li ...