Lessons Learned from the Chernobyl and Fukushima Disasters

TThe following is an article contributed by the Russian Embassy in Seoul to NewsWorld on the lessons to be taken from the Chernobyl and Fukushima nuclear disasters - Ed.
Nowadays, huge attention is drawn to the current situation in Japan. The whole world expresses sympathy and support to the Japanese nation. We are all keeping a vigilant watch on the growing consequences of earthquakes and the tsunami on the Fukushima-1 Nuclear Power Plant (NPP).
The drama that has unfolded around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear reactors triggered debates over the safety of atomic energy. Can atomic energy be safe at all's We all know what happened a quarter-century ago, as the horror of the Chernobyl disaster is still vivid in our memories. Today, the world has encountered another atomic catastrophe, where the human factor combined with natural elements has lead to drastic consequences.
Making global decisions during an emotional shock is as dangerous as an explosion of an NPP. Complicated issues require long and intensive reflections. The dreadful chain of events — a strong earthquake followed by tsunami — makes the current situation in Japan somehow different from the Chernobyl nuclear disaster in 1986. The explosion at the Chernobyl NPP happened because of human error and careless attitudes. However, it revealed the importance of full disclosure and the accessibility of information in such situations. Nowadays, NNPs are the most cost-effective way to generate electricity. Moreover, it’s very safe if appropriate rules during both construction and operation are not neglected. Atomic energy in Russia is a matter of utmost necessity. The Chernobyl disaster made a crucial contribution in toughening nuclear standards and regulations as well as enhancing safety systems of operating NPPs.
And still we need a new concept of nuclear power, where safety will be part and parcel of the process of producing energy. Today we are able not only to reflect on the problem, but also search for solutions.
Russia votes for building new NPPs instead of reconstructing the old ones, eager to bear the responsibilities for plants built by Russian specialists. It’s necessary not only to extend the lifespan of already operating reactors, but also to construct new ones. However, the new reactors ought to be equipped with renewed safety systems.
In regard to this issue, Russian specialists will take on the responsibilities not only for domestic NPPs, but for those built in other countries where Russia has signed contracts. For instance, Turkey’s Akkuyu NPP will be equipped with a totally new control system, designed for the whole lifespan of the plant. A new joint corporation will be created to monitor the construction and operation of the Akkuyu NPP, which is a new approach that guarantees the safety and stability of the plant.
Another startup that was built with Russian assistance is the Kudankulam NPP in the south of India, which is both earthquake and tsunami-resistant. The plant is equipped with a so-called passive heat removal system that guarantees reactor cooling even in case of a power cut.
What should be done now is the determination of requirements for newly-built nuclear reactors. We should fast-track new technologies. And here we do have vast opportunities for international cooperation, which will include not only delivery of services and materials, but also joint research and development of a new generation of nuclear reactors as well as solutions for safety, the environment and other crucial problems. Such cooperation should operate on both the state and corporate levels.
In considering the requirements for the new nuclear reactors, we should focus on three main aspects. The first requirement is safety — a new generation of reactors should be safe, even if the staff cannot take appropriate action. The second requirement is to ensure a non-proliferation regime. For that, we should find a way to skip the stage of uranium enrichment, which means the use of natural uranium. We must also avoid plutonium separation when dealing with spent nuclear fuel. And the third requirement is the minimization of nuclear waste. These three requirements are most relevant to fast-breeder reactors (fast-neutron reactors). They can have a stable core, operate on natural uranium and be used as converters not only for their own spent fuel, but also for the spent fuel from thermal reactors. Therefore, in Russia it was decided to develop a new technological platform based on fast reactors. At this point, we welcome cooperation in the construction of a multipurpose fast reactor.
The main lesson learned from the Chernobyl disaster is to remove human mistakes from the equation. That is why multiple overlapping safety systems at nuclear power plants and passive safety systems have appeared. The disaster at Fukushima has shown that openness in the field of atomic power is a basic condition for the safe development of the global nuclear industry as well as for the safety of the population in any circumstance, even in the case of a simultaneous earthquake and tsunami. This will require certain technical and economic decisions as well as an appropriate legal base to regulate standards of openness and transparency. And these shouldn’t be individual measures. Nuclear energy is a global industry and safety conditions must be global as well.
Additional requirements and restrictions should be applied for the construction of nuclear power plants in seismically hazardous areas. General international requisition must be elaborated, particularly for areas subject to powerful earthquakes and subsequent tsunamis. The Russian set of rules and regulations on nuclear power already contains a prohibition on NPP construction in areas where a magnitude 8 earthquake may happen. The ban must obviously be extended to the international level. When a catastrophe of such magnitude happens, it doesn’t affect a single state, it is a danger to neighboring countries and the whole planet.
The accident at the Fukushima NPP is a serious precedent for enhancing the authority of international organizations that are responsible for nuclear power safety. The credentials should be in compliance with current specific situations and allow for international organizations to solve the tasks assigned to them. It is necessary to follow the principles of informational openness and absolute transparency.
And what is even more important, we should strengthen people’s confidence in worldwide nuclear energy development. nw