“China must alter nuclear policy" (Too risky to justify)

[kristopher]

“China must alter nuclear policy” (1)
He Zuoxiu

October 12, 2011
Important lesson from Fukushima 1: China must immediately halt its plans for a nuclear “Great Leap Forward”, formulated by a small number of people behind closed doors.

Let’s take a look at China’s planned nuclear “Great Leap Forward”. Today, China has 11 reactors in operation, generating 9 gigawatts of electricity. Twenty-six more are under construction and will generate 28 gigawatts of electricity. The National Energy Administration and Chinese Academy of Engineering are working on targets which will see 70 gigawatts of nuclear generating capacity by 2020, 200 gigawatts by 2030, and 400 to 500 gigawatts by 2050. Nuclear power will gradually become one of China’s main energy sources.

Globally, there are over 400 reactors up and running, generating 400 gigawatts of electricity. Over the next 10 to 40 years, China aims to match, or even exceed that total.

The United States is an example of a nation that rapidly developed nuclear power (although, after the Three Mile Island accident in 1979, it drastically reduced the pace of nuclear development.) Today, the United States has 100 gigawatts of nuclear-generating capacity, and remains the world leader. Within 40 years, China plans to have four to five times the generating capacity of the United States. My question is: has China made the necessary preparations to undertake this “Great Leap Forward”?

These ...

http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4576--China-must-alter-nuclear-policy-1-

Editor’s note: On June 23 this year, the Heinrich Böll Foundation and the China Science Media Centre held a seminar on nuclear solutions and challenges in Beijing. Speaking at the event, He Zuoxiu, a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences (CAS) and a researcher at the CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics, fiercely criticised China’s “Great Leap Forward” in nuclear development. An edited extract of his presentation is, with He’s permission, made public for the first time here in two parts. In part one, He outlines three lessons he believes China must take from the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster.

[TheWraith]

1. As opposed to their coal policy, where killing the planet is dandy? Right. nt

[kristopher]

6. So you think they should continue to build nuclear plants...

....even though they cannot build and operate them safely?

That is an extreme minority position, to say the least.

[Laelth]

2. This author says he supports new nuclear plants along the coast.

Just not along rivers (too risky to justify). He says China should focus on a nuclear shipping fleet first, i.e. before massive electricity generation for public consumption.

Sorry, wind-turbine salesmen, this author is not opposed to nuclear energy.

-Laelth

[kristopher]

3. I'm aware of what the author's position is.

People should read it for themselves.

I'm an independent energy policy analyst specializing in the transition away from a carbon economy, not affiliated with any industry. Given that 92% of the country agree with deployment of renewable energy, however, your rabid anti-wind stance has a high probability of being motivated by self interested financial considerations.

ETA: It certainly is a known tactic of the nuclear industry:
"An investigative panel headed by lawyer Nobuo Gohara said last month that senior officials of Kyushu Electric tried to manipulate a state-sponsored TV program in June to make it appear that local communities were supportive of restarting reactors at the utility's Genkai power plant in Saga Prefecture.
The panel said a remark by Saga Gov. Yasushi Furukawa to the utility's officials prompted the company to solicit e-mails in support of restarting the reactors for the TV program. The program was broadcast in June amid increased public concern about nuclear power in the wake of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant crisis triggered by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami.
On Friday, Kyushu Electric decided that President Toshio Manabe and Chairman Shingo Matsuo will remain in their posts. The utility also submitted the report on its probe into the scandal to the government, making no clear reference to whether the governor bore any responsibility for the problem..."

http://mdn.mainichi.jp/mdnnews/news/20111017p2g00m0dm006000c.html

[FBaggins]

5. Is that second paragraph supposed to be you?

If so... thanks for the belly laugh. :)

[kristopher]

4. Author believes "China should abandon plans to use ... reactors for short-term development"

In the second half of the article, published separately at the link below, He Zuoxiu, "a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics", continues his review of China's push to develop nuclear energy and states his conclusion:

"I believe China should abandon plans to use slow, fast and thermal reactors for short-term development goals, as the conditions are not ripe for significant expansion. How, then, do I think nuclear power should be employed?
I advocate using nuclear power not for basic electricity supply, but for sea transport."

http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/4577

[Sau Lan]

7. I wonder what China's ulterior motives are

They use the same nuclear fuel cycle with its mining of uranium, milling, enrichment and fuel fabrication stages which readies the uranium ore for use in reactors, whether these reactors are used to create plutonium for bombs or generate electricity. In the end, both reactors produce the plutonium which is used for weapons. The only question is what is done with the material after it is used for power. Each power plant could be secretly producing nuclear WMD's as we speak and there is actually ample evidence for the fact that they continue to produce WMD's and possibly export them to North Korea.

[kristopher]

8. China doesn't hide their nuclear weapons program.

At least, not in the sense you are talking about. As most nations do they consider detailed information about their weapons systems to be highly classified, but they are a known nuclear power (at least to everyone but Herman Cain) and the fact that they operate enrichment facilities for weapons is accepted; so, there is no motive for them to build power reactors to secretly make fissile material for weapons. They just need energy.

Iran, of course, is a horse of a different color.
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=115x316252