What are the people's concerns with our government's planned nuclear deal? A People’s Hearing was held for affected communities and civil society to make their voices heard, organised by SAFCEI, together with Earthlife Africa Jhb and the Heinrich Boell Foundation. Together a People’s Statement was written, which civil society handed over to Parliament, outlining the many … [Read more...]
South Africa slows nuclear power expansion plans
South Africa's government has slowed its nuclear power expansion plans, according to a draft energy paper, although state energy utility Eskom said the country should stick to its original plan of bringing a new plant online by 2025. South Africa has the continent's only nuclear power station and is seeking to expand its nuclear, wind, solar and coal power capacity in the … [Read more...]
Nuclear energy crowding out adaptation responses
Nuclear energy is a false solution to climate change. Research into costs, timeframes and lifecycle carbon costing shows that even if nuclear energy did not emit radiation during operations or leave us with toxic waste for thousands of years, it is too expensive, too late and not carbon-free. In addition, nuclear power needs uranium as fuel, which comes from uranium mining. … [Read more...]
New study looks at costs of SA’s proposed nuclear expansion
A new study by EE Publishers looks at the initial capital cost as well as the levelised cost of electricity (LCOE) generated by the proposed 9.6 GW new-nuclear build in South Africa. Initial cost R776 billion The EE Publishers study estimates an initial overnight capital cost (including owner’s development costs, but excluding interest during construction) of the 9.6 GW … [Read more...]
Renewables vs Nuclear – choose a legacy!
While listening to a recent nuclear vs anti-nuclear energy discussion hosted by Cape Talk Radio, it dawned on me that choosing nuclear or renewables is much more than choosing an energy option. It is a choice between two divergent socio-economic opportunities and the consequent legacies. It is a choice that needs public participation and far wider involvement than the Dept of … [Read more...]
No end in sight for Fukushima’s reign of marine terror
The 5th anniversary of the meltdown of the Fukushima nuclear power plant on the east coast of Japan has come and gone, and, still the whole story hasn't been told. The cover-up began almost immediately after the 11 March 2011 disaster, and Japanese journalists who dared write about it, risked criminal action. Besides Japanese pride, there are many reasons for the cover-up. … [Read more...]
Fukushima plant to leak radioactive water for 4 more years
Operators of Japan’s damaged nuclear power plant Fukushima have warned that it will take a further four years to fix the problem of contaminated water leaks. The admission was made as a sombre nation prepared to mark the fifth anniversary of the March 11, 2011 earthquake and tsunami, which triggering the world’s worst nuclear disaster in decades. The problem of dealing … [Read more...]
Belgium’s ageing nuclear plants a cause for grave concern
The two cooling towers at Belgium’s Doel nuclear power plant belch thick white steam into a wintry sky, and people across the border in the Dutch town of Nieuw-Namen are on edge. They are part of a groundswell of concern in the Netherlands, Germany and Luxembourg over the safety of Belgium’s seven aging reactors at Doel, to the south, and at Tihange, farther east. “I’m … [Read more...]
‘No jobs on a dead planet’ says Kumi
"Preparing for the 22nd Century, Environmentally" was a talk held by Greenpeace Executive Director Kumi Naido at the Cornerstone Institute in Cape Town recently. Kumi said that faith communities must come to terms with the inconvenient and uncomfortable truth that without the involvement of faith communities, we won’t be able turn around catastrophic climate change. There … [Read more...]
Opposition grows to South Africa’s $100 billion nuclear plan
South Africa’s plans to build new nuclear plants costing as much as $100 billion are encountering mounting opposition from within the government and ruling party over the project’s affordability. While Energy Minister Tina Joemat-Pettersson insists contracts to build new reactors will be awarded by the end of March, the ruling African National Congress and National Treasury … [Read more...]
Volcano near nuclear plant raising concerns in Japan
Just under a week after the first nuclear power plant re-opened in Japan, critics are voicing concerns about safety. Oh, and there's a volcano. After the Fukushima nuclear disaster of 2011, all of Japan's nuclear reactors were shut down. To reopen, plants must pass new safety requirement. Plants must have an upgrade plan, an engineering work plan and receive pre-service … [Read more...]
Russian nuclear deal the beginning of a downward spiral?
The shock announcement of an underhandedly-signed nuclear deal with Russia (where it was first announced) is of deep concern. Not least because so many organs of government, including our Energy Policy and the NDP, as well as the mainstream business media, think it will prove to be an extremely costly decision - financially, socially, environmentally and politically. The … [Read more...]
Court action launched against illegal nuclear metal smelter
Did you know that the National Energy Corporation of SA (NECSA) has permission to smelt and release radio active metal into the South Africa marketplace? Last week a court action was launched to call for a halt of the operations at Pelindaba (just outside Tshwane), and a new process for authorisation to commence. According to papers filed in court this week, the test … [Read more...]
