Risk characterisation indicators for risk comparison in the energy sector

The paper presents and discusses steps in the development of a set of risk characterisation indicators (RCIs) to be applied for the comparison of risk expressions from different energy systems across their fuel/life cycle to obtain a fair risk evaluation. The Joint Research Centre of the European Commission (EC-DG JRC), and specifically its Institute for Energy in Petten/Netherlands (JRC-IE), initiated a PhD study activity entitled European Energy Risks Monitor (ERMON), to assess and compare different energy technologies. The comparison is based, among others, on a set of risk indicators, developed on the backbone of a causal structure for energy technologies. The development of the RCIs is a process which aims at the identification of the input for the development, starting with the recognition of possible stakeholders for ERMON, the detection of possible risk scenarios available from different energy systems, and concluding with the development of the indicators. This paper mainly focuses on the latter. The main characteristics of the resulting set of indicators are presented and discussed, together with their application, and limits.