Look before taking the nuclear leap*******
Tuesday, 12 April 2011
S A Mansoor
We are trying to set up a nuclear power plant, for which the process has been started with Russian Government. However, in the case of nuclear power, one should be very, very careful, as until now nuclear power generation is not totally fool proof. And 'fools' are there everywhere, which we quite often cannot fathom, given our ignorance and lack of knowledge on the 'pros' and 'cons' of the subject! We may go to consultants, but in that case too subjectivity can not be totally avoided. Going nuclear is exciting and as we say, takes us to the leading edge of science and technology! But we must 'look before we leap'. In the case of nuclear power generation, this needs to be doubly ensured. For this decision is like a sharp knife, and any careless handling, the user is maimed! This is the reality, where we must; actually think a hundred times before deciding. In any case, from proposition to all the various levels of international clearances needed, it can well take a decade and this process is not within our control. If we start in 2011, it will be around 2022, when final clearance is obtained for starting building the nuclear power plant! At the end of the day, it is easier said than done; for the task of setting up a nuclear power plant involves many hurdles. Dr.Rahman, a qualified and accredited nuclear radiation protection official and Fellow of the Nuclear Institute in the UK, has presented a pragmatic and realistic assessment on how safe our proposed nuclear power plant that we plan to install, is going to be. In his views published in the "Energy&Power' a fortnightly of April 1, he stated that hearing such naive and overoptimistic claims of our nuclear experts, he could not help but thinking that should these experts be placed in charge of this plant (proposed nuclear power plant) then the country would need divine help. An important observation by him, about any prospective plant location also needs serious consideration from our authorities, responsible for this critical installation. He stated, "The site needs to be away from large human habitation. Every nuclear power plant requires some amount of radioactive material to be released into the atmosphere during day-to-day operations, under, what is known as, the authorised site discharge provision. This low level discharge prolonged over a long period, may result in chronic exposure to radiation of the population living nearby and hence there is need for separation of the site from human habitation. Chronic exposure causes cancer of various types-thyroid, lung, leukemia, and even genetic disorder and physical abnormality. On the other hand, acute exposure may result in skin burns, nausea, vomiting and even Central Nervous System death." Dr. Rahman reiterates the need for pragmatic and technological skills, that we sadly lack, and observes, " It would be a monumental folly if Bangladesh jumps into the nuclear bandwagon without these considerations." In his opinion, nuclear option must not be taken lightly. Given these realities on this sensitive issue, We strongly feel that it should be our last choice, as we have other options that are logical like combined cycle coal fired steam power plants that can use our own or imported coal as fuel. Dr. Rahman also stated that our estimate of US$2,000 million for a 1000MW (2X500Mw units) nuclear power plant is grossly low and the operation, refueling and safety costs are far higher. He stated that the only the periodic de-commissioning of the plant for refueling alone will cost around $2,000 million! Given these facts and knowledgeable opinion from a recognized Bangladeshi UK-based expert on the subject, we need to rethink into the whole gamut of nuclear power generation for Bangladesh. The writer is an engineer.
We are trying to set up a nuclear power plant, for which the process has been started with Russian Government. However, in the case of nuclear power, one should be very, very careful, as until now nuclear power generation is not totally fool proof. And 'fools' are there everywhere, which we quite often cannot fathom, given our ignorance and lack of knowledge on the 'pros' and 'cons' of the subject! We may go to consultants, but in that case too subjectivity can not be totally avoided. Going nuclear is exciting and as we say, takes us to the leading edge of science and technology! But we must 'look before we leap'. In the case of nuclear power generation, this needs to be doubly ensured. For this decision is like a sharp knife, and any careless handling, the user is maimed! This is the reality, where we must; actually think a hundred times before deciding. In any case, from proposition to all the various levels of international clearances needed, it can well take a decade and this process is not within our control. If we start in 2011, it will be around 2022, when final clearance is obtained for starting building the nuclear power plant! At the end of the day, it is easier said than done; for the task of setting up a nuclear power plant involves many hurdles. Dr.Rahman, a qualified and accredited nuclear radiation protection official and Fellow of the Nuclear Institute in the UK, has presented a pragmatic and realistic assessment on how safe our proposed nuclear power plant that we plan to install, is going to be. In his views published in the "Energy&Power' a fortnightly of April 1, he stated that hearing such naive and overoptimistic claims of our nuclear experts, he could not help but thinking that should these experts be placed in charge of this plant (proposed nuclear power plant) then the country would need divine help. An important observation by him, about any prospective plant location also needs serious consideration from our authorities, responsible for this critical installation. He stated, "The site needs to be away from large human habitation. Every nuclear power plant requires some amount of radioactive material to be released into the atmosphere during day-to-day operations, under, what is known as, the authorised site discharge provision. This low level discharge prolonged over a long period, may result in chronic exposure to radiation of the population living nearby and hence there is need for separation of the site from human habitation. Chronic exposure causes cancer of various types-thyroid, lung, leukemia, and even genetic disorder and physical abnormality. On the other hand, acute exposure may result in skin burns, nausea, vomiting and even Central Nervous System death." Dr. Rahman reiterates the need for pragmatic and technological skills, that we sadly lack, and observes, " It would be a monumental folly if Bangladesh jumps into the nuclear bandwagon without these considerations." In his opinion, nuclear option must not be taken lightly. Given these realities on this sensitive issue, We strongly feel that it should be our last choice, as we have other options that are logical like combined cycle coal fired steam power plants that can use our own or imported coal as fuel. Dr. Rahman also stated that our estimate of US$2,000 million for a 1000MW (2X500Mw units) nuclear power plant is grossly low and the operation, refueling and safety costs are far higher. He stated that the only the periodic de-commissioning of the plant for refueling alone will cost around $2,000 million! Given these facts and knowledgeable opinion from a recognized Bangladeshi UK-based expert on the subject, we need to rethink into the whole gamut of nuclear power generation for Bangladesh. The writer is an engineer.