China's nuclear plants must now plan and pay for their own cleanup

China has issued new rules for how nuclear power plants must prepare for their eventual shutdown. This means operators must now plan and set aside funds for the plant's cleanup from the day it opens.

Building a nuclear power plant means committing to a century-long project, including its eventual shutdown and cleanup. Until now, the financial and operational planning for that cleanup was often vague or deferred. These new rules force operators to integrate decommissioning costs and procedures into their business plans from the start, making the full lifecycle cost of nuclear power more transparent.