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Redevelopment as an innovative approach to nuclear decommissioning 77

nuclear facility could be viewed as part of its decommissioning project, a concept that
came out of use for decades and only recently has reacquired vigor (Fig. 3.1).
In general, most unused industrial buildings can be adapted for other uses; but
others are more problematic due to such factors as: conversion costs; constraints of
their physical structure; their location in a conservation area; problems of access;
or whether they have been “listed” as having special architectural or historic features.
The heritage of the first generation of nuclear power plants (NPPs) is significant.
These plants, designed in the 1960s and 1970s, incorporate a specific type and archi-
tecture of construction. These power plants, already shutdown or approaching the end
of their service lives, are impressive features on the landscape. Newer plants are dif-
ferent in design and appearance. They tend to be standardized and modular, so creat-
ing a less imaginative appearance. The generation of plants being shut down and
decommissioned should be valued and their heritage preserved to some extent (in fact
some have been fully dismantled already). Total dismantling could effectively erase
all traces of this generation of plants, severing the ties to history (Farrow, 2008).
As indicated in the Preface, the post-decommissioning redevelopment of nuclear
sites has been addressed sporadically by the players. On the international scale, only
the IAEA has addressed the subject systematically. The recent (Gillin, 2018) may
mark a new attitude.

4.1 Sustainability

The definition for sustainable development established by the Brundtland Commis-
sion in 1987 stresses the need of meeting human needs in a manner that respects
intergenerational equity and responsibility (United Nations, 1987). Likewise, the def-
inition from the World Conservation Union stresses the need of improving the quality
of human life while protecting the Earth’s capacity for regeneration (The World
Conservation Union, 2006). The combination of these two definitions provides an
understanding of sustainable development as benefiting both people and ecosystems
in the short and long term.
Adaptive reuse enables a building or facility to suit new conditions. It is a process
that recovers the benefits of energy and quality of the original structures in a sustain-
able manner. So far, initiatives to improve sustainability have tended to focus on new
construction projects rather than existing ones. One reason is the tendency to regard
old structures as having a limited remaining life and to be closed down and demolished
in the not-too-far future. However, many existing industrial buildings will still be in
use for at least another 100 years: in fact, introducing the concept of circular economy
and redevelopment “cycles” may extend their lifetimes much longer. Therefore, there
is a need to develop policy and strategies that foster both adaptive reuse and the sus-
tainability of existing buildings.
The shift to reuse and adaptation has become an increasing trend within the built
environment. In many cases, increasing the life of a building through reuse can lower
material, transport, and energy consumption and pollution, and thus make a significant
contribution to sustainability. Today researchers generally agree that adaptation can