Japan’s nuclear reactors shut – but still costing money and electricity for safety
unfortunately it’s not so easy to completely mothball a nuclear plant. When they get too old to operate safely or get shut early due to disaster they still need to be propped up on life support, to manage the site cleanup, to manage their waste and to cool that waste.
The end of nuclear, CLIMATE SPECTATOR, Matthew Wright, 8 May 2012 “…….Japan is now operating completely nuclear free. We heard claims that Japan would have widespread blackouts through last summer (they didn’t) and that this will occur this summer (they will not).
Japan still continues to electrically heat its toilet seats, light the highest number of neon signs per capita in the world, and run their ubiquitous vending machines – despite repeated warnings of a possible power crunch by vested interests and government.
In fact we’ve heard these kind of nuclear dependency claims before and they’ve been wrong time and time again. The pro-nuclear evangelists
claimed that Germany would be importing electricity from its
neighbours last year, after switching off half of its nuclear reactor
fleet.
Instead of importing electricity, Germany exported 6TWh of electricity
and what’s more, it reduced its carbon emissions by two per cent.
It is possible now that Japanese nuclear plants may never be
restarted, or if some do, the many remaining will be mothballed. But
unfortunately it’s not so easy to completely mothball a nuclear plant.
When they get too old to operate safely or get shut early due to
disaster they still need to be propped up on life support, to manage
the site cleanup, to manage their waste and to cool that waste.
In fact right now, Japan’s 54 idled reactors are using the electricity
equivalent to the output of three entire reactors, just to provide
cooling and other critical services. These will need to go on being
delivered to the sites for years even if the reactors are to be
completely decommissioned.
That means that nuclear reactors are competing with hospitals, schools
and factories for scarce electricity supplies. Due to inherent safety
risks, the reactors get power ahead of everyone else in the country.
It doesn’t matter if you’re in an emergency ward needing urgent
medical attention to save your life, the reactors’ safety comes first.
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of the week – Disrupting War & Militarism in Oceania. Active solidarity. Radical practice.
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