Nuclear power: solving the problem of global warming or another disaster for humanity

The Russians are relentless in their terror, destroying civilian and critical infrastructure. The Russian army attacks Ukraine’s power grid almost every day. In particular, he is carrying out nuclear blackmail at the ZNPP, turning it into a military facility.  In addition, nuclear power plants produce more than 50% of energy in Ukraine.

Currently, the reactors of Zaporizhzhia NPP, the largest in Ukraine and Europe, are in “cold” mode and do not work for the benefit of the country. However, nuclear energy has its own prospects. Because more, it is included in Recovery Plan of Ukraine and should become an important factor in ensuring energy security and independence in the future.

Some of the countries of the European Union are of the opinion that nuclear energy is one of the world’s largest sources of clean energy, that is, that is produced without or with minimal emission of harmful, greenhouse gases.

According to Maksym Nemchynov, Vice President of the Energy Club, which he voiced on the air of the telethon, Ukraine should engage in the development and expansion of nuclear energy:

“Not to develop atomic energy in Ukraine, having specialists, having technologies, not all, but certain ones, having the opportunity to do it, is actually wrong. Therefore, we need to develop it and we need to follow this path unequivocally.

Regarding the opportunities, risks, threats and prospects of nuclear energy, we talked with energy policy specialist Artem Kolesnyk.

There are benefits, but there are also risks

“One of the main arguments in favor of nuclear energy is the absence of carbon dioxide emissions during electricity production. Indeed, nuclear power plants do not produce CO2,” – believes the specialist. Nuclear power does reduce dependence on fossil fuels such as coal and natural gas.

“Nuclear power creates a new dependency — on uranium and complex infrastructure for the safe management of radioactive waste,” Artem Kolesnyk emphasizes.

Such dependence is no less problematic given all the risks and challenges associated with managing radioactive materials.

Moreover, despite the advantage of the large capacity of the stations, the emissions are still significant.

“One of the biggest problems of nuclear energy is the long-term storage of radioactive waste. These wastes remain dangerous for living organisms for thousands of years, says Artem Kolesnyk. “Modern storage technologies are not yet able to guarantee absolute safety for such a long period of time, which creates serious risks for future generations.”

Waste storage facilities require constant monitoring and maintenance, which imposes huge financial obligations on society. Construction, operation and closure of nuclear power plants require significant financial resources and time. It takes 10 to 15 years, and sometimes more.

“In the context of the fight against climate change, we cannot afford to wait so long. We need quick and effective solutions that can be implemented in the coming years, not decades, – adds Artem Kolesnyk. “Alternative energy sources can be put into operation much faster and cheaper, providing a significant reduction in CO2 emissions in the short term.”

Also, we should not forget about the tragedies that happened, namely the Chernobyl disaster in 1986 and the accident at the Fukushima nuclear power plant in 2011. As the expert notes, even with the high level of safety provided by modern technologies, the risk of accidents always remains.

The consequences of such accidents are catastrophic: contamination of large areas, mass evacuations, long-term effects on people’s health and significant economic losses.

“In the event of an attack on a nuclear power plant, the consequences can be catastrophic, both for the local population and for the entire region. Therefore, nuclear energy requires an extremely high level of protection and safety, which complicates its use.” – emphasizes the specialist.

Prospects of atomic energy

Ukraine, together with the USA, Japan and the Republic of Korea, are also planning the creation of small modular reactors, so-called mini nuclear power plants.

Small modular reactors are a new technology that is not yet used in developed countries. There are several little-known projects in Russia and China, but they are unlikely to become widely used in the world.

Such modular reactors have many advantages. First, it is a small capacity that does not require a large area for placement. Secondly, they do not have such a complex technology for construction. They have increased safety through passive cooling systems and are able to quickly respond to load changes.

However, these advantages have their downsides. Artem Kolesnyk notes:

“MMRs still produce radioactive waste that remains dangerous for thousands of years. The problem of storing these wastes is not solved by MMP technology, and it remains as relevant as it is for large reactors.”

Also, despite lower initial construction costs, the total cost of electricity produced by Small Modular Reactors may be higher due to the smaller scale of production and the need to build many modules to achieve the required amount of energy.

And the risks associated with possible accidents and radiation leaks remain. Even with increased safety of MMPs, human factors and technical malfunctions can lead to catastrophic consequences.

However, despite the risks, for faster modernization and decentralization of the energy system in Ukraine, it is important to make a transition to the use of renewable energy sources both in the short-term and in the long-term.

Valery Shalyakhina