When my Editor called and asked me to write the next article in “Energy Review” on “Radiation Leak in the worlds biggest Nuclear Power plant in Japan”, I was quite uneasy  how to respond as an energy analyst who saw  only one  Nuclear Power plant in Virginia USA in year 1999 from a far distant highway, never had any chance to visit any one of them, other than the Metzamor Nuclear power plant in Armenia in 1976 with a team of UN professionals on a peace mission to the region.

So I made a  wide  search in internet news media to understand the latest news in the subject plant in Japan. A Japanese earthquake that forced the closure of the world’s biggest nuclear plant has highlighted the energy source’s dangers, just when support had been growing.  Worries about security of energy supply and the urgency of fighting climate change had helped to overcome years of opposition to nuclear power after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

It is my sincere feeling that Chernobyl  period is over, we are now in a new age with maximized security, minimized waste, as enabled by the 3^rd and 4^th generation in nuclear technology. Generating nuclear power does not produce any of the carbon emissions blamed for warming the planet.   But even for those swayed by environmental considerations, there are obstacles and, for the doubters, Japan’s troubles have added to their unease.  

A powerful earthquake on July 16 caused radiation leaks, forcing Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO) to shut its Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant in the northwest of the country.  The Nuclear Energy Agency (NEA), advisory board to the OECD, said the biggest impact would be higher safety standards.  Other difficulties varied from country to country.

In Europe, public opinion was the dominant factor, although to an extent it had been won over.  Nuclear energy is much more popular than a few years ago because of climate change and security of supply, but still in some countries, it’s politically difficult.

In Britain, the government has called for a new generation of nuclear power plants as part of efforts to cut carbon dioxide emissions to 20 percent below 1990 levels by 2020.  Although public opposition has been relatively muted, the government has been forced to review its nuclear energy policy by a court challenge from environmental groups.  Like Britain, the United States, the world’s biggest energy user, is also thought to be well on the way to seeking new nuclear plants and applications for licenses are expected to be submitted later this year.

Regardless of TEPCO’s difficulties, U.S. analysts said the fundamental reasons for looking to nuclear remained in place.  There could be an impact on public confidence, they said, but the time needed to process plans could be a bigger hurdle.

Sweden and Germany are among the nations that have decided to phase out nuclear power.

Both have experienced problems with Swedish firm Vattenfall’s nuclear facilities.

In Sweden a reactor at the Forsmark plant suffered an emergency shutdown in July last year. It was rated two on the International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), compared with seven for the Chernobyl disaster, the world’s worst nuclear accident. 

Vattenfall’s German unit Vattenfall Europe is also under scrutiny following two emergency shutdowns and the German government has threatened to withdraw operating licenses for the plants involved.

The incidents have been especially sensitive in a country where nuclear plants have met massive popular resistance, leading the previous government to agree to the closure of all of Germany’s reactors by the mid-2020s.

Those most favorable to nuclear power include Finland and France and both are building new plants.  In France nuclear power provides around 80 percent of the nation’s electricity needs and generally has public acceptance because it means cheaper power.  But even France has its nuclear detractors.  After last week’s earthquake in Japan, the nation’s anti-nuclear association Sortir du Nucleaire said 42 of France’s 58 nuclear power reactors might not be able to cope should a similar incident occur in France.  Most analysts say, however, that is extremely unlikely.

Thirteen instances of damage at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa nuclear power plant in Niigata Prefecture are suspected to have caused radioactive leaks, Tokyo Electric Power Co. said Wednesday.  The damage is believed to have been caused by the Niigata Prefecture Chuetsu Offshore Earthquake, which hit the prefecture last week. So far, the leak of radioactive materials has been confirmed at two locations in the power plant.  

The details of five of the cases are not yet fully known, according to TEPCO, which operates the plant. In a further six cases, the company is still unable to begin repairs.  Inspectors have discovered that ventilation ducts that extract air from the reactor buildings and channel it to the main exhaust pipe, have slipped out of place in five reactor buildings.  If they had been damaged when the reactors were still operating, radioactive gas could have escaped from the ducts.   As they are located high within the reactor buildings, inspectors have been unable to examine the ducts manually for fear of another aftershock, leaving radioactive leaks and other details unconfirmed. It also has been discovered that up to 2,000 tons of water leaked from an area designed to handle radioactive substances on the fifth basement floor of the No. 1 reactor building due to damage to water pipes used for firefighting.

Although the amount of radioactive material in the water was too small to be detected, according to TEPCO, such a massive amount of water surpassed expectations.  The utility said it is uncertain when it will be able to complete repairs to the exhaust ducts and the water pipes.  So far, two radiation leaks have been discovered at the plant.

Some water that overflowed from the fuel storage pool at the No. 6 reactor poured into a noncontrolled area, in which radioactive substances were not supposed to be handled. Eventually, TEPCO says, a minute amount of radioactive materials leaked into the sea.

In addition, a trace amount of radiation was emitted from an exhaust pipe in the No. 7 reactor due to its mishandling by officials after its operation was suspended immediately following the temblor. However, no radioactive substances have been found in the environs of the nuclear power plant.

It is believed that the concentration of radiation became diluted to a level safe to humans.

It has been discovered that water leaked from fuel storage pools at all seven reactors of the plant. As of Tuesday, the water has been drained at four locations.  TEPCO said officials have completed major visual inspections, but they will investigate further. About 1,200 TEPCO employees work at the Kashiwazaki-Kariwa plant, and many of their homes were damaged during the temblor. Currently, only 600 or 700 of the employees are able to come to work, according to TEPCO’s public relations department.  So far, the plant has confirmed 64 instances of damage, including the aforementioned 15 cases.  It was newly discovered Tuesday that a ceiling crane in the No. 6 reactor building was damaged.  As inspectors are unable to start examining the reactors’ cores, the actual health of the plant is not fully known.

We may ask the advantages and disadvantages of a nuclear power plant in terms of energy security: it is a good way of training people in atomic technology and safety, as well as raising atomic awareness.

One could never inform oneself of the relevant technology by being an anti-nuclear activist. As ever, one only learns something by doing it.

We should also appreciate that nuclear technology is a very precious, expensive issue. It is not free-of-charge, or possible to secure with only the minimum investment, as in the case of thermal power generation.  

This article used various international news sources including but not limited to Reuters, AFP,  ABC News, Japanese News agencies, IHT, NYT, WP.

Haluk Direskeneli- Energy Analyst

ODTU ME’1973, Ankara MMO 6606

HalukDireskeneli@tr.net   

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