Arab News Japan

TOKYO: A Japanese study group has concluded that nuclear power plants (NPPs) may not be the viable alternative for legacy power stations some governments believe will help reduce the output of CO2 and other gases.

The Nuclear Power Plant Vulnerability to Climate Change Study Group was set up by the Citizens’ Nuclear Information Center (CNIC) to see if NPPs can be useful as a countermeasure against climate change.

The reports concludes that nuclear plants are not likely to be a favorable alternative, stating that using nuclear power as a power source entails a challenge, as operating conditions need to be maintained for many years and these conditions have a potential for significant change.

The report explained: “A nuclear power plant requires about 20 years from the initiation of planning to the start of operation. There are a few plants that are authorized to operate for 60 years in Japan and 80 years in the US. Plant decommissioning takes 30 years or so. Depending on the case, it is necessary to consider social circumstances for 130 years to come to run an NPP. Further, when the management of spent nuclear fuel is counted in, hundreds of thousands of years should be considered.”

The report clearly states, “Nuclear power generation cannot be useful as a measure against climate change, because it is extremely expensive and too time consuming.” It points out more than half of NPP CO2 emissions are generated in the fuel manufacturing stage, namely the uranium enrichment process. If the quality of uranium decreases, the enrichment process will create even more CO2 emissions.

Aside from impacting climate change, NPPs are already susceptible to events related to climate change, such as sea level rises and tsunamis, higher water temperatures, and heavy winter snows. The report says that the design of a nuclear power plant can only consider circumstances at the time of the design process and cannot assess future risks that may arise due to climate change.

The report concludes: “For NPPs to operate as a measure against climate change, safe and stable operation is an essential precondition. The greater the influence of climate change, the more likely these preconditions will not be satisfied.”