Nuclear under fire

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Update, 16 July 2007:  There has been a fire and a leak in Japan, at the world's largest nuclear power plant.  Our statement.

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With the nuclear industry's false assurances of safety and reliability exposed, German chancellor Merkel announced Germany would not revise nor abandon the plan for nuclear-phase out by 2021.

As in many other countries, nuclear energy companies are lobbying the German government to keep old, dangerous reactors open for longer. But it was recent events that highlighted the growing nuclear risks. Less than a week before the German energy summit a fire broke out at Kruemmel nuclear station and another one in Brunsbuttel suffered an emergency shut down due to technical failure. Also, there was a similar UK accident in May where a fire shut down an old reactor at Oldbury.

In many countries most nuclear plants are reaching the end of their planned life spans of 25-30 years. Most energy companies who operate the plants are pushing to extend operations many years beyond the time the plants were originally planned to close. This has serious safety implications. Not only are older reactors prone to all kinds of failures, like any old, complex machines, but many of their crucial components are physically loosing their ability to withstand extreme situations that may occur during an accident. For example the reactor vessel, at the very heart of the plant and key for nuclear safety, gets more and more brittle over time due to intensive radiation. 

Compromising on safety

While an old car that fails a safety test is taken off the road, an old nuclear plant that fails safety tests tends to get patched up and given a license to continue working, despite the fact a serious accident could threaten millions of lives. Operators claim that due to their growing experience and technical upgrades, they can run reactors much more safely and reliably twenty one years after Chernobyl. State safety inspectors buy this line and tend to be positive about proposals for plant life extensions.   

These reactor fires were a reminder that we cannot trust operators, and not even state regulators. Often the true scale of the problems are hidden. Only a week after the fire at Krummel station it was revealed that there was a direct nuclear risk involved. Yet a spokesperson from plant operator Vattenfall stated the fire "looked more dramatic than it really was" and that "it affected only a transformer with no implication for nuclear safety".

New reactor, same problems

The great hope of the nuclear industry is the showcase EPR reactor in Olkiluoto, Finland. But even before it's close to being finished it's demonstrating the familiar problems of nuclear energy. After just two years of building it is 18 months behind schedule and a massive E700 million over budget. This supposed 'showcase' project has had so many safety problems with substandard construction that the Finnish nuclear regulator has uncovered a series of safety "deficiencies".

In just two years there have been multiple major problems with construction of this 'bright new hope' for the nuclear industry at Olkiluoto. First the concrete base was made of poor quality concrete, and then the reactor vessel failed safety standards. Cooling pipes had to be scrapped due to bad quality steel and it was discovered the steel containment lining (crucial to protect against radiation leaks) was found to have almost 50 holes in the wrong places.

Relying on keeping old dangerous reactors going long past their close by date and unable to even build on new reactor without massive delays, blowing the budget and failing minimum safety standards. That betrays the industry hot air of an "nuclear renaissance" for what it really is - an industry on life support, kept alive only by massive tax payer subsidies and putting profit over safety.

Luckily we can secure energy supply and prevent dangerous climate change without hazardous nuclear power. As our Energy Revolution scenario shows, we can phase out existing reactors without building new ones, and achieve the required cut in greenhouse emissions.

Renewable energy and energy efficiency are the future and you can help make that future a reality. Take the 7 step challenge.