Nuclear Power – fact and fiction

1. Nuclear Power – fact and fiction

2. Many genuine concerns

3. http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/waste/doc/2005_06_nuclear_waste_en.pdfhttp://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/waste/doc/2005_06_nuclear_waste_en.pdf

4. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_297_en.pdf

5. http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_297_en.pdf

6. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive Use renewables instead

7. Fact or Fiction? “We are not going nuclear because we are going down the renewables route.“ Minister for Energy (Eamon Ryan), Late Debate, RTE radio

8. Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy SecurityCER submission “… gasand wind generation must be supplemented by other sources, whether coal with carbon capture and storage, nuclear or non-intermittent renewables.”

9. EirGrid “concerns that the portfolio … dominated by wind … supported by gas ... exposes Ireland to risks both in terms of supply and price volatility.”

10. Airtricity “a sustainable electricity system is the sum of a portfolio of interdependent technological solutions including renewables” “Should competitive, flexible, smaller scale reactors be proven, then this is an option that Ireland should consider in the longer term.”

11. Wind output at system peaks

12. Capacity Credit of Wind http://www.eirgrid.com/media/Generation%20Adequacy%20Report%202010-2016.pdf

13. Realistic contribution of some renewables - global Maximum additional (thermal equivalent) amounts: Wind x 50 Hydro x 2 Biomass x 3 Geothermal x 70 Marine x 500

14. Realistic contribution of some renewables - global Maximum additional (thermal equivalent) amounts: Wind x 50 (~ 3 TW) Hydro x 2 (~ 1 TW) Biomass x 3 (~ 1 TW) total < 6 TW Geothermal x 70 (~ 100 GW) (need 15 TW) Marine x 500 (~ 100 GW) Remainder from solar, fission, fusion and new technology

15. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

16. Fact or Fiction? “Any reasonable cost-benefit analysis concludes that nuclear energy has no future“ Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth OR “..our electricity is more expensive … because they have nuclear energy, which is cheaper.” Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

17. SEI shows nuclear cheaper than wind http://www.seai.ie/Publications/Low_Carbon_Opportunity_Study/Technical_Appendix.pdf

18. DIT/BERR: nuclear cheapest new option http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/files /file31938.pdf

19. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

20. Fact or Fiction? “Too big for the Irish Grid” “Plant size is 1600 MW”

21. New nuclear plants by 2015-20 • Toshiba 4S 10 MW • Hyperion 25 MW • PBMR 165 MW • Babcock & Wilcox SMR 185 MW • Westinghouse SMR 225 MW 10 new plants <= 700 MW will begin operation by 2012 Opportunity, not a threat!

22. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

23. Not enough fuel? Known Recoverable Resources of Uranium 2009 @ US$130 /kgU > 70 years at 70,000 tU p.a.

25. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

26. Target for terrorists? Segregated + protected + shielded Jet crash test Small target Underground Auto SCRAM Easier targets (chemical, biological) No history https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/video-gallery/index.html#rocketsled

27. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

28. Use in weapon? • Fuel: Low Enriched Uranium (< 5%) • Weapon: Highly Enriched Uranium (>20%) • State-run enrichment facilities • Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty • IFNEC (GNEP)? • Cannot operate as a nuclear weapon

29. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons ………… Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

30. Fact or fiction? “nuclear energy is just as polluting in terms of carbon emissions as gas-fired power.” Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth

31. IPCC are unequivocal… Figure 4.19 in Climate Change 2007: Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change

32. Future Irish emissions http://www.eirgrid.com/media/Low%20Carbon%20Generation%20Options%20for%20the%20All%20Island%20Market%20%282%29.pdf (POYRY)

33. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions …………. Fiction Use in nuclear weapons ………… Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

34. “Waste remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years” – fact or fiction? "What is remarkable about nuclear waste is that it fades away. In 600 years the high-level waste from a nuclear power station is no more radioactive or dangerous than the uranium ore from which it originated.”James Lovelock

35. Waste issues Small quantities (500 m3 HLW vs 1 bn m3 ind pa) Retained 50-year waiting period Long life = low radioactivity Geological storage (Finland, Sweden, UK, Switzerland) Natural reactors (Oklo, 3 billion years ago) Valuable resource - use as fuel?

36. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste ………….... Fiction Doesn’t help emissions …………. Fiction Use in nuclear weapons ………… Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

37. U.S. Industrial Safety Accident Rate2007 ISAR = Number of accidents resulting in lost work, restricted work, or fatalities per 200,000 worker hours. Electric utilities and manufacturing do not include fatality data. Sources: Nuclear (World Association of Nuclear Operators), 2006 Data for Electric Utilities and Manufacturing (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Updated: 4/08

38. U.S. Nuclear Industrial Safety Accident Rate One-Year Industry Values ISAR = Number of accidents resulting in lost work, restricted work, or fatalities per 200,000 worker hours. Note: Starting in 2008, data includes supplemental personnel. Source: World Association of Nuclear Operators Updated: 4/11

41. Objections in Ireland It’s not safe ………….................... Fiction No solution for waste ………….... Fiction Doesn’t help emissions …………. Fiction Use in nuclear weapons ………… Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………...... Fiction They’re too expensive ….……….. Fiction Use renewables instead ……….. Fiction

42. Summary • Whirlwind guide • Many fallacies circulating • Efficiency paramount • Serious topic, serious consideration • Going gets tough….facts, not fiction!

43. Radiation and Protection