Safety, security paramount in setting up nuclear plant

By LILLIAN ALUANGA

Introduction of nuclear power plants will require a wide range of infrastructure that will provide Government, legal, regulatory, human and industrial support for effective operation.

Among concerns raised over the country’s desire to adopt nuclear power as a source of electricity is that it may fall short of internationally accepted nuclear safety standards and security guidelines.

In his presentation during the Second Conference of the International Year of Chemistry, Engineer Collins Juma of the Nuclear Electricity Development Project alluded to the fact that Kenya was aware of safety issues related to nuclear power plant operations.

Juma says the authorisation to build a nuclear power plant requires detailed analysis of suggested accident scenarios according to the plant design.

"These form the design basis of accidents for a given design. Safety systems are designed to cope with these accidents and the analyses must demonstrate, given conservative assumptions, that exposure to the public will not exceed the established safety limits," he said.

Unep Executive Director Achim Steiner has urged Kenya to first explore other sources of renewable energy such as solar, wind and geothermal before embracing nuclear technology.

Those against the adoption of nuclear power generation argue that it has the potential for disastrous consequences in cases of accidents as witnessed during the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

The incident, which involved an explosion at a nuclear power plant, in what is today Ukraine, was blamed on a flawed nuclear reactor design coupled with mistakes of plant operators within a system where training was minimal.

Besides the 30 people who died as an immediate consequence of the accident, at least 1,000 other on-site reactor staff suffered high radiation doses.

Radiation doses can be controlled in several ways, including physical shielding; protective clothing and apparatus, limiting the time workers spend in areas with significant radiation levels, and using remote handling techniques.

Safety concerns and operating problems would later lead the international community to call for complete closure of the Chernobyl plant.

There have been at least two major reactor accidents in the history of civil nuclear power. These are the Three Mile Island in the US (1979) and Chernobyl. While the incident in the US was contained, the other had no provision for containment

Proponents of nuclear power production, however, argue that there have been major technological advancements since Chernobyl.

Kenya’s first nuclear plant, of 1,000 Megawatts, is expected to be commissioned in 2022. Three more would be commissioned later to produce up to 4,000 MW by 2031. This is expected to contribute to provision of a stable and affordable power supply.

Countries like France are heavily reliant on nuclear technology to meet energy needs, with at least 76 per cent of electricity generated through this source.

With at least 42 per cent of her electricity generated through nuclear technology, Sweden ranks highly among European countries that have also adopted this alternative energy source.

Besides South Africa, Ghana, Morocco and Egypt are among African countries that are exploring the nuclear option, to meet their energy needs.

Juma notes that security has been a vital consideration in nuclear plant design and operation, particularly in light of possible terrorist attacks.

"Security at nuclear plants has become a major focus for governments and concerned international organisations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)."

The IAEA is the world’s centre of co-operation in the nuclear field.

Juma says although much remains to be done, nuclear installations have strengthened security forces, added protective barriers, limited access to sensitive information, and have other measures commensurate with the current security risks.