SANU Academic Committee for Energy: the construction of a nuclear power plant demands a break with the practice of selective and partial compliance with laws and institutions

We are translating the text of the weekly Radar.rs, which publishes a series dedicated to energy by publishing the study of the Academic committee for energy of the Serbian Academy of Arts and Sciences. In this part of the series, the academic board comments on the process of including nuclear energy in the energy mix of Serbia. We are translating the text in its entirety and without changes

The volume of investments and the strong impact on society significantly increase the risks of using nuclear energy in countries without developed institutions, with deep-rooted systemic corruption, non-transparent public affairs and with a government that subordinates the social interest to the interest of narrow groups

By: Academic Committee for Energy, SANU

Gradual shutdown of coal-fired thermal power plants must be accompanied by the construction of suitable replacement sources, the members of the Academic Committee for Energy of SANU state in an extensive study, a kind of “social agreement on energy”. With their consent, Radar will exclusively publish the content of that document in several sequels, which lists the real interests of citizens in the energy sector, which should also be the tasks of a new legislative, executive and judicial authority after the regime change in Serbia.

Nuclear power plants: The need for the construction of new sources is fueled by the growth in electricity consumption due to the electrification of transport and the growing needs for data processing, storage and transmission. Variable sources (solar and wind power plants) could replace part of the outages if used in tandem with flexible natural gas power plants, capable of compensating for unmanageable production variations. However, rising gas prices, supply problems and the resulting CO2 emissions make such a solution unacceptable in the long term. Nuclear power plants (NPPs) are a basic source with many times longer life span and with lower overall CO2 emissions than solar power plants, and therefore Serbia was instructed to consider the construction of the first NPP on its territory.

According to the standards of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), a country that is building a nuclear power plant for the first time should consider only those types of reactors whose design has been proven in many years of practice and for which there are positive exploitation experiences in the country of origin as well as in other developed countries. In order to avoid the risk of early application of insufficiently tested technical solutions, it is necessary to exclude the application of modular reactors.

Covered by agricultural, forest and urban land, Serbia does not have areas suitable for nuclear waste disposal and does not have the possibility to permanently store spent nuclear fuel or other nuclear waste. The construction of the first NE and/or the delivery of fresh fuel should be contracted with suppliers who have an interest in receiving, transporting, using and disposing of the used fuel. In addition, it is necessary to more closely determine and observe the provisions of the law on the prohibition of the import of all types of nuclear waste.

The planning of activities in the field of nuclear energy should be carried out in full accordance with the standards of the IAEA and “safety culture” through an essentially independent and expertly based interdepartmental Regulatory Body, which will be the bearer of numerous activities related to the development of nuclear energy in Serbia.

Since the first NPP will be built according to the “turnkey” or BOOT system, the contract for its construction must be carefully and expertly formed, taking into account all relevant experience related to the type of reactor, supplier, safety and protection measures, location selection, reliability and economic status of the supplier… Available domestic experts are indispensable participants in all preparations for the planned construction of the NPP. For the further development of the nuclear program in the coming decades, it is necessary to renew the training of personnel. Along with the usual practice that the equipment supplier also provides training for the operating staff, it is necessary to form new study programs of basic academic studies at technical faculties.

The volume of investments and the strong influence of nuclear energy on society significantly increase the risks of its application in countries without developed system institutions, with deep-rooted systemic corruption, non-transparent public affairs, and with a government that subordinates social interests to the interests of narrower groups. Nuclear energy planning in the interest of citizens requires the removal of the aforementioned obstacles. Preparations for the construction of the NE imply a break with the practice of selective and partial compliance with the laws and institutions of the system. The decision to build the first nuclear power plant in accordance with IAEA standards is incompatible with the current situation and can only be made within the framework of a functioning legal state.

Source: Radar.rs

S.A.