ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECT OF NUCLEAR POWER AND PUBLIC ACCEPTANCE
INTRODUCTION
As we stand at the threshold of third millennium, the demand for energy in our country has accelerated at 10percent per year, due to population explosion as well economic liberalisation leading to rapid Industrialisation. It is true the per capita consumption of power is a clear index on the quality of life and our country has to go a longway to match with those of developed countries, where the per capita energy consumption is 8 to 10 times of our country. For the next 50 years, Hydel, Thermal, Nuclear are the three major energy options) whereas the Non-conventional/Renewable energy sources such as Biomass, Biogas, Solar energy, Wind energy, Tidal wave and Geo-Thermal energy will not contribute significantly to the energy needs. Compared to the installed capacity of 86,440 MW in 1997, the projected need will be 2,36,940 MW by 2012.
MAJOR ENERGY OPTIONS
Hydro power is a renewable, economic, non-polluting and environmentally benign source of energy. Only 15% of Hydroelectric potential has been harnessed and 7% is under various stages of development. Thus 78% of the potential remains without exploitation. This is mainly due to capital intensive nature, long gestation period, concern on inundation of forest lands, Rehabilitation of large populations and upsetting the ecological balance, which all have combined to decelerate the Hydel sector.
Thermal fuel combustion causes the atmospheric release of large quantities of Nitrogen, Sulphur Dioxide, Carbon dioxide and particulate matter and hence serious environmental impacts at local and global levels. As per the energy experts statement, a 600 MW capacity pulverised coal plants, on an average will release about 35,500 tonnes of Sulphur dioxide, 11,700 tonnes of Nitrogen Oxide, 780 tonnes of particulate, 12.50 lakh tonnes of Carbon and 148 tonnes of heavy metal including radioactive nuclides such as Uranium and Thorium over two decades. Flue gas desulfurisation and de-noxing equipment or more highly efficient plants would reduce emission of the oxides, but these abatement measures do incur cost penalties upto 25% tilting the cost balance to nuclear energy option. Apart from the cost factor, the threat of Acid rain, depletion of Ozone layer and Green house effect due to fossil fuel combustion, narrow down the choice to Nuclear energy.
The enormous power dormant in the atom was the single most important discovery of the 20th century. The development of Nuclear power world over has been rapid and France meets more than 50% energy demands from Nuclear power. In our country, 10 Nuclear reactors generating a total capacity of 1840 MW contribute only 2.5% of total energy demand.
NUCLEAR ENERGY DEVELOPMENT
According to NPC, 78000 tonnes of Uranium deposits were found in Singhbhum (Dt) in Bihar and 3.6 lakh tonnes of Thorium in the coastal plains, of Orissa and Kerala. These deposits were sufficient to generate 3.5 lakhs MW power at cheap rates for 3 00 years, while causing much less pollution. The need for producing nuclear power has also to be seen in the backdrop of the fact that oil resources are becoming scarce and coal reserve in our country will last for another 150 years. Higher coal, oil/Gas prices will quickly undermine its competitiveness, while nuclear power generation costs are quite stable over a wide range of fuel price scenarios.
It is established the nuclear power is advantageous particularly in those parts of the country, where hydel sources are scarce and which are far away from the coal fields, like southern and western parts of our country.
Our country has coal reserves but to reach energy usage levels comparable with global average, it is necessary to use all energy sources particularly the nuclear power, which could be a source of cheap energy. The capital cost of the nuclear power is undoubtedly more, but the electricity produced from it is cheap. As a developing nation, our country has an important option to tap nuclear energy as a source of cheap energy, since the country requires the cheapest energy that it can get.
In the context of entire coal reserve in our country will be depleted in 150 years, the coal price is going up at 15% per annum and high ash content of 45% in indigenous coal which requires vast land for Ash disposal, option is converging on Nuclear Power.
The Nuclear reactors are having the distinction of continuous run even for a year once put on bar, whereas Thermal Generators may need intermittent attention.
Critics of Defence Nuclear Programme, often club the civil Nuclear and Defense Nuclear as 'Siamese Twins' but that is not a fact. Nuclear energy is a safe, environmentally benign and viable option.
High capital cost and long lead time undermine the competitiveness of Nuclear Power. As it takes nearly 8 years to complete the Nuclear power project, the interest rates on capital cost has to be at the lowest. At 5'0/o- interest rate, it is having an edge over fossil fuel based Thermal power and above 5% it loses its competitive edge. Even efforts have been made to reduce the gestation period by 18 months. More severe safety and radiation protection standards have further added to the capital cost. The Home grown pressurised Heavy Water reactors could be at least 40% cheaper than what they are if measures such as double containment protection around the reactor vessel built in extra redundancy are done away with. The Nuclear power may be made economical by going in for 'Closed Nuclear Power Cycle' by extracting Plutonium from spent fuel. Hence the reactors on drawing Boards are expected to have shorter construction time, lower capital cost, improved cycle efficiency.
?Resources crunch' in funding the Nuclear energy programme is considered to be the main limiting factor, towards development of nuclear energy regime. Necessary Govt. Budgetary support, raising public money by floating Bonds, equity participation among the States concerned and opening of this High Technology sector for joint venture with private promoters are proposed towards enhancing the Nuclear energy contribution to 200/o from the present 2.5% in the total energy demand of our country by next century.
ENVIRONMENTAL EFFECTS & PUBLIC FEAR
'Nuclear radiation Phobia' is the main repulsive factor in the minds of the general public towards acceptance. If a Gas Turbine fails catastrophically at an IPP Plant, the plant suffers financially and perhaps electricity supply suffers locally. Ditto, if a coal fixed boiler explodes or implodes. If a accident of that magnitude occurs at a Nuclear plant, the entire Industry can be sent to the dark ages. Even accidents in other countries bright the domestic nuclear industry.
The Layman in the street is baffled, frightened and threatened by the periodical news report by antinuclear activists on 'Nuclear radiation'. It is true nuclear radiation is an 'invisible contamination' which we cannot see, touch or smell it. Nevertheless, it cannot remain invisible for long, say for many years. It becomes only visible in the form of thyroid diseases, cancer, Leukaemia, miscarriages, birth defects, mentally retarded children and animals born with deformities.
But it is unfair to mix the effects of Nuclear tests carried out for Defense Nuclear with peaceful Civil Nuclear energy programme. One Press report says how radiation can travel through the food chain into human body with an instance from Bikini an atoll in the western chain of the Marshall islands in the Central Pacific Ocean, where the Americans carry out as many as 66 Nuclear tests. One of the most popular delicacies among the people is the coconut crab. This type of crab has a curious habit of eating its own shell, which it sheds every year. By eating the coconut crab, which had large accumulation of the radioactive substances, the people of Bikini developed thyroid diseases, Cancer and Leukaemia, even though they were permitted to return after many years of the tests conducted. The fear due to the mechanism of radiation damage is the main causative factor for hesitation by the public towards acceptance in India.
MASS EDUCATION ON NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME IN INDIA
Advocacy through the media is a favored practice among NGOs' as it lends viability, credibility and urgency to the issues. But NGOs and social activists seem to think that sensationalising information is a surefire strategy to grab media attention.
Environmentalists and some NGOs' have contributed a number of articles which pose the question of a possible negative impact of Nuclear power facilities on the environment and the population. Such issues which were raised in this context are largely connected with the public's insufficient information availability concerning specific safety principles of new generation nuclear power plants.
Hence, there is an urgent need to inform the public at large, mass media bodies, independent experts and seminar participants about know-how and many-year old positive experience of operating and maintaining NPPs' in the fullest possible and most objective manner. Information on operating and maintenance of Nuclear power facilities and safety aspects with reference to international norms will solve the issues which concern among the population and NGOs' to the great extent, resulting increase in NPP active supporters.
Television is considered to be the most effective media of communication to allay the fear and misapprehensions, concerning, NPRs', by conducting open discussion between Nuclear power proponents and the people/NGOs' concerned. In fact, substantial allocation in the project cost must be allotted for mass education to kick start the public awareness of nuclear energy option.
KOODANKULAM POWER PROJECT - A CASE STUDY
The light water reactors (called WER) of I 000 MW capacity proposed in Kudankulam would strengthen the south Indian power supply corridor. It would be a massive investment in the infrastructure sector and would contribute enormously to the local economy and employment. Barren sites would become areas of flourishing activity when the reactors are set up.
The nuclear establishment has since initiated steps to take the public into confidence regarding the safety of the proposed nuclear project at Kudankulam. As a first step, the entire structural and safety details of the reactors (VVER) were kept open in one seminar, commissioned during 5th November at Chennai, wherein Indian and Russian atomic energy Departments participated.
When the Kudankulam Atomic Power Project was mooted in collaboration with Russian Federation during 1988, there was a public outcry in the Vernacular press. Anti-Nuclear campaign was mounted by various NGOs' in the form of street plays, theme songs and day long fasting to drive home the point.
The public anxiety on the project is over the safety aspect of the Russian Technology in the light of Chernobyl accident on April 26, 1986 in the former USSR. The press was wild in reporting on how the radiation leaves its legacy in food chain and has caused widespread contamination not only in the Soviet Union but carried out by wind and affected the vast areas of Europe, causing widespread destruction in Dairy-farming regions upto Sweden.
Another causative factor for public anxiety is on the coolant water from Nuclear Power Plant, which according to the local fishermen will destroy their livelihood as Koodankulam is basically a fishing village. The press Report on Kalpakkam Nuclear complex, near Chennai says the warm waste water with radioactive contamination that comes out of the plant keeps the fish away, particularly in the area within a few miles radius of the outlet . Lots of dead fish floating are collected for making salted and dried fish for outside market, as the local people are aware of the fact.
It is the bounden duty of nuclear energy proponents to dispel the fears on safety aspects and on contamination of nuclear waste. The local leaders of NGOs' and anti-nuclear loby have to be educated on the difference between Chernobyl reactors (VVER 440 MW capacity - first Generation) and the proposed Kudankulam Reactors (VVER 1000 MW capacity - Third Generation) rectifying all the deficiencies in the earlier generation reactors and fitted with all the modem safety features like double container system as per the best International norms. The fact that Russia's VVER - type reactors fit into the category of water cooled and water moderated reactors, now seen as the most widespread reactors (250 Nos. out of total of 435 Nos.) operate the world over, has to be taken note of. The specific Reactors, to be built in Koodankulam feature the most progressive engineering solutions in the NPP - Safety field, envisaging several consecutive safety levels, such as multiple duplication, different operating principles and the physical division of safety channels, are to be given wide courage publicity at the educated people level.,
In the case of disinformation campaign on colossal impact of coolant outlet water from Nuclear plant on fish culture, NPC has since taken a welcome step of arranging a visit of the fishermen folk of Koodankulam village to 'Sadras' a fishing village near Kalpakkam, to have first hand information and interaction with local people. This type of Interaction will result in increase of supporters to Nuclear energy programme.
INDIAN INFRASTRUCTURE SECTOR POSTS DISMAL GROWTH RATE IN SEPT
Reversing the sharp recoveries during the last two months, the six infrastruture industries posted a dismall 1.7% growth rate during September.
Growth rate of the six sectors compristeg crude oil, refinery production, coal, electricity, cement and fioished steel fell from.highs of 9.3 % in July mainly on account of poor showing by coal electricity and crude oil. The six infrastructure Industries had posted a growth rate of 4.1 % in September last year.
The growth rate during the first half of the current fiscal (April-September) was, however, impressive 6%, as opposed to a lowly 1.5% in the year ago period. Whie crude oil production remained flat, coal and electricity sector posted negative growth rates of 2.4% and 0.4% as compared-to-handsome 9.6% and 4.7 % growths respectively in the same month last year.
Cement saw a reversal of fortunes with growth rate dipping to 0.7% in September 2002 from 16.4% in the year ago period. On the other hand. petroleum refinery products growth touched 2.8% as against a negativegrowth rate of 2.1% in September 2001, while finished steel recorded an impressive growth of 7.6% compared to 1.8% in the same period the previous year.
Crude oil production posted a growth rate of 5.2% in April-September as apposed to a negative 2.9% grwth rate in the same period the previous year. During the first half of 2002-03, growth rate in petroleum refinery products was higher at 5.6% (4.2%) coal 5.9% (2.1%), electricity 3.4% (3.2 %) and that in cement was higher at 9.8% (3.4%).
Fnished steel staged a turn around with a growth rate of 9.3% during April-September this fiscal, far higher than a negative growth rate of 0.9%.
In absolute terms, white crude oil production bettered to 16.53 million tonnes as compared to 15.7 million tonnes in the first six months of 2001-02, petroleum refinery products rose to 51.64 million tonnes over 48.89 million tonnes a year ago. Coal prodution was up at 151.3 million tonnes in April-September as compared to 142.9 million.tonnes in the same period last year.
S. Chkarapani
Age56
Freelance Journalist
chakrapani.s@nlcindia.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Chakarapani_Srinivasa
