Comparative Risk Assessment for Different Energy Infrastructures - ERMON Project

After mapping current European Union regulations on management of accidental risks related to natural hazards and different industrial activities, this paper discusses insights from past European Commission initiatives on harmonization of assessment and management of safety risks. The problem of safety comparison and risk/benefit communication is of critical importance for sustainable decision-making. For the specific case of the energy sector, the European Commission's Joint Research Centre (DG JRC) and DG TREN (Directorate General for Transport and Energy) have recently started two connected initiatives, called Energy Risks Monitor (ERMON) and Safety & Security of Energy Infrastructures in a Comparative View (SEIF-CV). While ERMON deals with developing a methodology and corresponding decision support tool to cross-compare in a consistent way safety, risk and reliability performances of different energy systems across their specific fuel cycle chains, SEIF-CV creates a network of stakeholders in the energy sector as well as the necessary review and user panels for ERMON. Objectives and status of ERMON and SEIF-CV are described.JRC.F.4-Nuclear design safet