Uncertain seas, uncertain future for nuclear power

Abstract

Many nuclear power plants were situated next to the ocean to have ready access to huge volumes of water, and sometimes they were built on land that was not very high above mean sea level. These characteristics may cause problems if ocean levels rise the one or two meters that most climatologists project as a result of climate change. The core of the problem resides in nuclear powerÕs dependence on two things: water and off-site power. Operating and safely shutting down a nuclear power plant require large supplies of cooling water, as well as the power to operate the control panels and the pumps that circulate the water. The Fukushima Daiichi accident happened after the facility lost its connection to the electrical grid and floodwaters caused the backup diesel generators to fail. While an earthquake caused the tsunami that led to the situation, a severe storm coupled with rising sea levels could have the same end result, especially in low-lying areas suffering from increased erosion caused by climate change. Off-site power losses, or Òstation blackouts,Ó have long been a commonly recognized risk at nuclear power plants. Backup systems have worked in the past, but dramatically rising sea levels, more frequent and intense storms, and the associated erosion that goes with them could make backup electrical systems problematic. To complicate the situation, the same storm and flood that affects a given power plant also interferes with the plantÕs communication and transportation networks, hampering the ability of personnel to respond to any crisis at the facility. At a minimum, climate change and the resulting rise in sea level will lead to concerns about the safety and cost of nuclear power plant operation and construction.

Potential water‐related risks to the electric power industry associated with changing surface water conditions

“…No. 2019: Algal blooms in cooling ponds may cause violation of discharge permits, resulting in the suspension of blowdown from plants (Brand, 2019) 2012-2015: Algal and jellyfish blooms have forced both shutdown and the addition of filtration systems to plant intakes in the U.S. and globally (Kopytko, 2015). Algae has become an issue particularly for nuclear plants on The Great Lakes, and Jellyfish have posed numerous issues for coastal plants, such as the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant in California (Kopytko, 2015;Sneed, 2012) 2007: Algae intake-intrusion forced the shutdown of the FizPatrick nuclear plant in New York State multiple times during 2007 (Kopytko, 2015;McChesney, 2007) 12 Moderately likely, medium severity (risk score = 9)…”

Energy Field Trips: Chernobyl and the Catastrophe with Nuclear Power

“…They saw that it was a new angle, so they asked me to write for the comment section [31]. From there I had requests from New Scientist [32] and The Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists [33], interviews with journalists from other newspapers in Europe, and a call from a representative in the European Parliament. None of this would have happened if I had not made that field trip to Ukraine.…”