Nuclear Engineering & Facility Safety

Stephan Kurth

Senior Researcher / Head of Facility Safety subdivision

Key Projects

Evaluation of events and operational experience in nuclear power plants (commissioned by: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, on behalf of the German Environment Ministry)
Updating nuclear guidelines and standards (commissioned by: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, on behalf of the German Environment Ministry)
Safety review of facility designs (commissioned by: Gesellschaft für Anlagen- und Reaktorsicherheit (GRS) mbH, on behalf of the German Environment Ministry)

Contact

Stephan Kurth

Nuclear Engineering & Facility Safety
Senior Researcher / Head of Facility Safety subdivision
Darmstadt
+49 6151 8191-108
E-Mail

Plant safety

Review of the Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG safety management system with regard to the explosion accident at the waste incinerator in Leverkusen-Bürrig

12/15/2021

On 07-21 2021 an explosion accident occured at the hazardous waste incinerator in Leverkusen-Bürrig, which left 7 staff members death and more than 30 injuried. Several technical experts are involved to analyse this event. In addition an independant expert team "Team Jochum" involving the Oeko-In
Plant safety

Technical screening and further evaluation of reportable events.

04/01/2021

Screening meetings are organised to discuss reportable events occuring in nuclear reactors. The focus is on the generic importance of these events and the lessons learned. The discussion ist based on the state of knowledge derived from the current operating experience. Experts from various techni
Plant safety

Evaluation of operational experience in nuclear reactors. Generic analysis and technical advice services.

04/01/2021

The project provides a comprehensive evaluation of the operational experience in nuclear reactors. Generic issues of safety-related importance are analysed regarding the current state of scientific knowledge. Subjects are such as: GRS information notices, exposure to external hazard
Plant safety

Tracking and processing the state of the art in science and technology for alternative disposal options for highly radioactive waste (altEr)

10/12/2020

As a basis for its recommendation, the German Final Repository Commission presented and evaluated different disposal options and committed itself to deep geological disposal in the Site Selection Act. On behalf of BASE, the project aims to determine the current state of science and technology (S&a
International nuclear policy

Implementation of international regulations in the German regulation system for nuclear waste management facilities

09/22/2020

The Western European Nuclear Regulator Association (WENRA), an organisation of European regulating agencies, strives to harmonise the regulatory framework. Germany has committed themselve to improve and implement the regulatory framework. The project deals with this improvement of the national reg
Decommissioning nuclear power plants

Assessment of the safety status of close-border nuclear installations

06/01/2020

The UMBW is supported by a technical assessment and evaluation of documents in the technical evaluation of incidents and projects as well as general safety issues concerning close-border nuclear facilities in neighbouring countries.

Alternative Disposal Options for High-Level Radioactive Waste

November 2021

Presentation by Dr. Matthias Englert, Simone Mohr, Stephan Kurth & Dr. Saleem Chaudry, 10.11.2021

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Total costs of electro-fuels and direct air captureand carbon storage while taking into account directandupstream emissions and environmental risks

E-fuels versus DACCS

August 2021

Study on behalf of Transport & Environment (T&E) For defossilizing European aviation,synthetic fuels or electro fuels (e-fuels) might play a pivotal role in the longterm.The UK’s Committee on Climate Change, however, suggests that offsetting aviation’s emission from fossil kerosene thro

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Technical characteristics of ageing processes and their possible impacts on nuclear safety in Spain

Risks of Nuclear Ageing

November 2014

Presentation by . Mohr und S. Kurth; Greenpeace, Valencia, November 2014

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Lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants: Entering a new era of risk

January 2014

In many countries of the European Union, nuclear reactors will be operated for longer in future than originally planned. Furthermore, the nuclear power plants have to generate more electricity. The components of the nuclear reactors are burdened by both their increasing age (and the associated agein

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Evaluation of the Radioactivity Release Event in December 2003 at Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit

January 2004

As of March 4, 2004, Oeko-Institut was commissioned by the Korean Company KHNP to review an incident in NPP Yonggwang Unit 5. Starting December 22, 2003, this incident lead to a contamination of a usually non-nuclear (clean) system of the plant, the Demineralized Water System, by contaminated reacto

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CCQI scores for IFM projects point to substantial integrity risks

Blog 03/25/2024

The Carbon Credit Quality Initiative (CCQI) has released new scores for the integrity risks of carbon credits from improved forest management (IFM) projects. We find that unrealistic baselines and underestimated leakage are likely to lead to significant overestimation of emission reductions or removals under all assessed methodologies. The likelihood of additionality depends strongly on the forest management practices that are implemented. The sustainable development benefits are more limited compared to most other project types.
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Alternative reactor concepts do not solve the repository problem

Press releases 03/21/2024

A new scientific study commissioned by the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Management (BASE) indicates that the market launch of alternative reactor concepts (also known as "Generation IV") is currently not on the horizon. "Despite some intensive advertising by manufacturers, we currently see no development that would make the construction of alternative reactor types on a large scale likely in the coming years. On the contrary: "From a safety perspective, we should expect the potential advantages of these reactor concepts to be outweighed by the disadvantages and the questions that remain unresolved," says BASE President Christian Kühn, and emphasises that "The concepts solve neither the need to find a repository for radioactive waste nor the pressing issues of climate protection."

Stephan Kurth

Contact

Recent projects

Review of the Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG safety management system with regard to the explosion accident at the waste incinerator in Leverkusen-Bürrig

Technical screening and further evaluation of reportable events.

Evaluation of operational experience in nuclear reactors. Generic analysis and technical advice services.

Tracking and processing the state of the art in science and technology for alternative disposal options for highly radioactive waste (altEr)

Implementation of international regulations in the German regulation system for nuclear waste management facilities

Assessment of the safety status of close-border nuclear installations

Recent publications

Read more

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Contact

Recent projects

Review of the Currenta GmbH & Co. OHG safety management system with regard to the explosion accident at the waste incinerator in Leverkusen-Bürrig

Technical screening and further evaluation of reportable events.

Evaluation of operational experience in nuclear reactors. Generic analysis and technical advice services.

Tracking and processing the state of the art in science and technology for alternative disposal options for highly radioactive waste (altEr)

Implementation of international regulations in the German regulation system for nuclear waste management facilities

Assessment of the safety status of close-border nuclear installations

Recent publications

Alternative Disposal Options for High-Level Radioactive Waste

E-fuels versus DACCS

Risks of Nuclear Ageing

Lifetime extension of ageing nuclear power plants: Entering a new era of risk

Evaluation of the Radioactivity Release Event in December 2003 at Yonggwang Nuclear Power Plant Unit

Read more

CCQI scores for IFM projects point to substantial integrity risks

Alternative reactor concepts do not solve the repository problem