The following is mirrored with the permission of Earthlife Africa from its
source at: http://www.earthlife.org.za/campaigns/PBMR_intro2.htm
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An introduction to the
Pebble Bed Modular Reactor (PBMR) programme
From the perspective of the Earthlife Africa Campaign of
the Johannesburg and Cape Town branches
Nuclear Energy Costs the Earth
Contents: page 1 :
Introduction
What is the PBMR programme?
What is a Pebble Bed Modular Reactor?
Justifications
Risks
Do we need PBMR?
Export potential?
Contents: page 2:
Nuclear Power and Climate Change
Policy and Process
Renewable Energy & Socio-economic considerations
Additional material
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Nuclear Power and Climate Change:
The nuclear industry is trying to sell itself as "clean"
energy just because it compares favourably with fossil
fuels in terms of the release greenhouse gasses,
particularly Carbon Dioxide (CO2), that are causing
potentially catastrophic global climate change.
At its source of electricity production, nuclear power
does not produce any CO2. However nuclear power does
produce CO2 in its whole fuel cycle, particularly during
the mining and enrichment of nuclear fuel as well as
during its transport and eventual disposal.
"The graph below, from the UK Royal Institute for
International Affairs, shows that nuclear energy produces
more CO2 than with renewable energy sources. ("Renewable
Energy Strategies for Europe, Volume II, electricity
systems and primary electricity sources", RIIA and
Earthscan, London, 1997, Michael Grubb and Roberto
Vigotti.)
[graph]
Furthermore, the difference in CO2 production between
nuclear and renewable energy sources is likely to
increase. If nuclear were to be considered as a serious
option for reducing CO2 emissions then there would need to
be a massive construction program for nuclear. This would
result in an increasing rate of consumption of high-grade
uranium ore.
Consequently, lower grade uranium would have to be used,
which would require significantly more energy to produce,
which will increase the overall CO2 being produced by the
nuclear fuel cycle.
Estimates for the International Panel on Climate Change
suggest that within the European Continent, 1000 reactors
would need to be operational in 2100, six times the
current level. This would require the construction of
around 2000 reactors in the next century, i.e. the
completion of 20 reactors per year.
It is therefore impossible to imagine that nuclear power
will ever play a significant role in reducing human impact
on the world's climate." (Antony Froggatt, Nuclear Power -
The End of the Road)
Clearly we should aim to do better than addressing one
problem, climate change, while introducing or increasing
another, release of radioactivity and the creation of
dangerous wastes.
Even the World Bank, notorious for putting the interests
of investors first, says that in developing countries
"nuclear plants in the power sector would not be economic;
they are large white elephants".
Policy and Process
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) of PBMR was
announced in April of 1999, but was effectively suspended
after registration of Interested and Affected Parties, as
Eskom failed to approve release of an initial briefing
document.
This has afforded proponents the opportunity to try and
canvas support, outside of a formal and accountable
process. The consultants concerned believed that the
process would start afresh in 2000 but as of February not
even a Plan of Scoping had been formulated. The fact that
Eskom has decided not to proceed with investigation of two
of the three proposed sites for the `reference module',
before formal consultation was initiated, has been claimed
as a victory for public protest. It could be seen as an
example of posturing and duplicity by Eskom, since it did
not take place within the context of an EIA, which itself
requires consideration of alternative sites as well as
alternative technologies.
The production of fuel for the PBMR will be considered in
a separate EIA, on the basis that it is undertaken by a
different public enterprise, a project of the Nuclear
Energy Corporation of South Africa (NECSA), formerly the
Atomic Energy Corporation (AEC). Correspondence from the
Department of Minerals and Energy (DME) has explicitly
accepted the White Paper position that:
decisions to construct future nuclear power
stations will be taken within the context of an
integrated energy planning process with due
consideration given to all relevant legislation,
and the process will be subject to structured
participation and consultation with all
stakeholders.
Such an integrated energy planning process has been
initiated but participation in the Steering Committee is
"voluntary", i.e. only for parties who can pay their own
way to meetings in Pretoria. Verbal presentations at the
opening meeting suggest that sending out an invitation is
considered to qualify as consultation.
Since a second meeting of the industry-dominated Steering
Committee has yet to be announced and the process is
expected to be completed by year end, it will be severely
compromised and of limited value. While there are some
involved who will struggle to achieve meaningful data
collection and scenario development to inform future
decision-making, in the big picture it appears to be
little more than window-dressing.
The White Paper actually calls for aggressive development
of renewable energy supply while providing only that the
nuclear option should not be ruled out, but presidential
favour for PBMR appears to be constraining efforts to give
effect to this intent.
In the mean time proponents bolster momentum by any means,
including taking advantage of the failing regulatory
mechanisms and desperate financial straits of the Russian
nuclear industry to conduct engineering tests far removed
from South African scrutiny (The Star 26/8/99).
The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) was
requested to investigate and advise on the technical and
economic feasibility, safety and nuclear proliferation
aspects of the PBMR. The report was expected in February
2000 but was not available as of end March. This is not an
independent study since the IAEA is an institution whose
mission includes promoting the use of atomic energy. It
also has a history of manipulating statistics to obscure
the health-effects of radiation.
Renewable Energy & Socio-economic considerations:
It is by now widely recognised that the `price' of
electricity generation - i.e. the cost to Eskom - bears
little relation to the actual cost to the nation of
producing electricity, both in economic terms, due to
direct and indirect subsidies, and in terms of human
health and degradation of natural resources.
While nuclear projects are capital-intensive and require a
high proportion of foreign expertise, renewable energy is
labour-intensive. Rural electricity generation from wind
and solar energy, either at household level or for small
grid systems, empowers local communities and helps to
combat urbanisation.
Internationally both solar thermal power, e.g. in
Sacramento, California, and wind power, most notably in
Denmark, expose the deception of claims by Eskom staff
that renewable energy "cannot provide for base load"
electricity generation.(Ref 7) While solar technologies
are becoming increasingly efficient and cost-effective,
Even in terms of present technology, in sunny
climates solar thermal electricity is the
world's most flexible and compact source of grid
electricity. It is also by far the largest -
capable of delivering, from just 4% of South
Africa's land surface, the total present world
electrical generating capacity. (SESSA: `Solar
Energy in Southern Africa')
Wind power technology is also improving rapidly (being
directly competitive with fossil fuels in situations where
full costs are taken into account) and past problems such
as noise and impacts on bird-life have been resolved. Ten
times more jobs are created by investments in Wind Power
projects than in nuclear and the leading developers are
willing and ready to undertake technology-transfer
projects that will allow South Africa to develop the
industry locally. Most of SA's wind resources are coastal,
thus reducing dependence on highveld coal stations and
long distance transmission. Wind farms produce no air
pollution and most (90%) of the land needed can also be
used for farming. See the South African Wind Energy
Association website for more information
While Eskom claim to be co-operating with the Darling wind
farm project in the Cape, they declined to enter into a
power purchasing agreement that would allow the project to
sell electricity onto the grid. For over 20 years the
nuclear industry enjoyed the benefits of heavy subsidies,
receiving between 85 and 90% of DME budget between 1985
and 1989.(Ref 8) This has advanced nuclear power at the
expense of cleaner and more socially beneficial
technology. It is time to move away from the practices of
the apartheid era and to give effect to policies and
legislation promulgated since 1994.
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Ref 7 - Tony Stott at a meeting with Cape Metropolitan
Council, 15/11/99
Ref 8 - For nuclear funding from 1971 - 1993 see `The
South African nuclear fuel industry: History and
prospects' by Thomas Auf Der Hyde, Energy and Development
Research Centre, University of Cape Town (1993)
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Additional material
Extracts from presentation by Themba Mdlalosa, Chief
Director of the Nuclear and Renewable Energy Directorate
in the Department of Minerals and Energy, to the
parliamentary portfolio committee, on 10 March 2000:
"PBMR is an acronym for Pebble Bed Modular Reactor. This
refers to a new kind of nuclear reactor which is still at
a conceptual stage of development. This reactor is being
developed by an ESKOM research group at a cost of a few
billion rands."
"The company or rather the project has about 78 ESKOM
employees and 97 contract staff. Thus the total number of
people working on the project is 175. Of the 78 ESKOM
workers only 32 are permanent and of these permanent
workers 12 are white."
"It is noteworthy that the average salary for the ESKOM
and contract staff is R468 571. So far, the whole research
effort has been directed at a conceptual development of
the PBMR. Thus the only tangible product of these efforts
are a few either hand drawn or computer generated
engineering drawings."
"The relatively limited public participation in the PBMR
debate cannot be blamed entirely on the lack of an
integrated energy plan. It is a fact that the DME was
never involved at the inception of the PBMR project. We
were presented with a fait accompli."
Extracts from a European Commission Report -
Directorate-General for Energy WIND ENERGY - THE FACTS
"It is predicted that the annual growth rate [of the wind
energy industry] will decrease from the 1997 value of 27%
until 2002 when it will be about 18% per annum, after
which it remains constant."
"In general, an increase in manufacturing output results
in lower production costs. This cost decrease has been
quantified at 15-20 % for each doubling of the installed
capacity . . . applying the production/cost decrease rate
as stated above for the period from 1996-2010 during which
the production rate is likely to double about three times,
suggests a cost decrease of 45-60%. The cost reduction
potential for wind energy has been assessed by US-DOE
(1990) and Risø (1996) and both studies support the values
suggested in this report."
"Under current European market conditions the installation
of each 1 MW of wind power creates jobs for between 15 and
19 people. In more labour intensive parts of the world
this figure may double. Further jobs will also be created,
including jobs in operation, service and maintenance."
"All power generation has environmental effects, those
wind produces are minimal. About 99% of the land area
within a typical wind farm site is available for
agricultural or other use.
Land requirements: Generation Technology:
Land Required per GWh for 30 years(m2):
* Geothermal 404
* Wind 800 - 1335
* Solar Photovoltaic 3237
* Solar Thermal 3561
* Coal 3642"
The following website provides extensive information on
the international status of the international energy
industry: www.undp.org/seed/eap/
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