Nuclear power - an option not feasible in Bangladesh
Saturday, 8 May 2010
Sayed Javed Ahmad
It is alarming to note that a daily newspaper recently quoted foreign minister as telling the IAEA director general that the government is giving high priority to nuclear power generation. It seems a sudden shift in policy as the government not too long ago advocated the use of renewable energy in Bangladesh to manage our energy crisis, particularly with hydro power.
When we say 'hydro power' we do not mean a turbine generated power like the one we have at Kaptai. The government should look into 'other methods' of generating power from hydro based plants. It has been stated that power could be generated from the sea water currents - from the surface waves as well as under water currents. This is a new technology and concept of producing electricity that is fully viable for Bangladesh as the country is located right next to a sea.
What we need is a high level committee to look into the technicalities involved as well as the viability of the project that other nations are experimenting with the concept and using it on a test basis, such as Iceland, India, Russia and some other countries. This committee need to be highly technical and not political, consisting of power engineers and related experts.
Here is another new scientific development that we could consider: "…Hydrogen gas, whether combusted or used in fuel cells to generate electricity, emits only water vapour as an exhaust product, which is why this nation would already be rolling towards a hydrogen economy if only there were hydrogen wells to tap. However, hydrogen gas does not occur naturally and has to be produced. Most of the hydrogen gas in the United States today comes from natural gas, a fossil fuel. While inexpensive, this technique adds huge volumes of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Hydrogen can also be produced through the electrolysis of water -- using electricity to split molecules of water into molecules of hydrogen and oxygen. This is an environmentally clean and sustainable method of production -- especially if the electricity is generated via a renewable technology such as solar or wind -- but requires a water-splitting catalyst…"
Before pursuing the N-power plants we must take note of the possible disasters that are linked to it. We still remember some of the disasters that have happened around the world including the Chernobyl accident in Russia. Russia is a vast country and they have room to move their people when a disaster strikes. But where can we move if a nuclear disaster happens?
In Malaysia, environmentalists have also slammed a government plan to build a nuclear power plant, calling it a risky venture.
Malaysian officials maintain the plan is crucial for the country's long-term energy security in view of a growing population and future economic expansion, but say they will conduct feasibility studies before deciding whether to proceed.
Malaysia will join neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, which have unveiled plans to operate their first nuclear power plants by 2020, while Indonesia plans to build its own on Java island by 2015.
Malaysia uses coal and natural gas to generate most of its electricity supply, and the government has repeatedly warned the cost of relying on both commodities is expected to spiral in the decades ahead.
The Center for Environment, Technology and Development, a Malaysian think-tank, warned that nuclear power was capital intensive and risky because it generates radioactive waste that has to be discarded.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, there are more than 430 nuclear power plants operating in some 30 countries worldwide, accounting for about 15 percent of global electricity output.
But, in a densely populated country like Bangladesh establishing nuclear power plants without sufficient protective measures will be suicidal.
(The writer can be reached at email: javedahmad@yahoo.com)
It is alarming to note that a daily newspaper recently quoted foreign minister as telling the IAEA director general that the government is giving high priority to nuclear power generation. It seems a sudden shift in policy as the government not too long ago advocated the use of renewable energy in Bangladesh to manage our energy crisis, particularly with hydro power.
When we say 'hydro power' we do not mean a turbine generated power like the one we have at Kaptai. The government should look into 'other methods' of generating power from hydro based plants. It has been stated that power could be generated from the sea water currents - from the surface waves as well as under water currents. This is a new technology and concept of producing electricity that is fully viable for Bangladesh as the country is located right next to a sea.
What we need is a high level committee to look into the technicalities involved as well as the viability of the project that other nations are experimenting with the concept and using it on a test basis, such as Iceland, India, Russia and some other countries. This committee need to be highly technical and not political, consisting of power engineers and related experts.
Here is another new scientific development that we could consider: "…Hydrogen gas, whether combusted or used in fuel cells to generate electricity, emits only water vapour as an exhaust product, which is why this nation would already be rolling towards a hydrogen economy if only there were hydrogen wells to tap. However, hydrogen gas does not occur naturally and has to be produced. Most of the hydrogen gas in the United States today comes from natural gas, a fossil fuel. While inexpensive, this technique adds huge volumes of carbon emissions to the atmosphere. Hydrogen can also be produced through the electrolysis of water -- using electricity to split molecules of water into molecules of hydrogen and oxygen. This is an environmentally clean and sustainable method of production -- especially if the electricity is generated via a renewable technology such as solar or wind -- but requires a water-splitting catalyst…"
Before pursuing the N-power plants we must take note of the possible disasters that are linked to it. We still remember some of the disasters that have happened around the world including the Chernobyl accident in Russia. Russia is a vast country and they have room to move their people when a disaster strikes. But where can we move if a nuclear disaster happens?
In Malaysia, environmentalists have also slammed a government plan to build a nuclear power plant, calling it a risky venture.
Malaysian officials maintain the plan is crucial for the country's long-term energy security in view of a growing population and future economic expansion, but say they will conduct feasibility studies before deciding whether to proceed.
Malaysia will join neighboring Thailand and Vietnam, which have unveiled plans to operate their first nuclear power plants by 2020, while Indonesia plans to build its own on Java island by 2015.
Malaysia uses coal and natural gas to generate most of its electricity supply, and the government has repeatedly warned the cost of relying on both commodities is expected to spiral in the decades ahead.
The Center for Environment, Technology and Development, a Malaysian think-tank, warned that nuclear power was capital intensive and risky because it generates radioactive waste that has to be discarded.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, there are more than 430 nuclear power plants operating in some 30 countries worldwide, accounting for about 15 percent of global electricity output.
But, in a densely populated country like Bangladesh establishing nuclear power plants without sufficient protective measures will be suicidal.
(The writer can be reached at email: javedahmad@yahoo.com)