1. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Nuclear Power – fact and fiction

2. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Many genuine concerns

3. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie http://ec.europa.eu/energy/nuclear/waste/doc/2005_06_nuclear_waste_en.pdf

4. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_297_en.pdf

5. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie http://ec.europa.eu/public_opinion/archives/ebs/ebs_297_en.pdf

6. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive Use renewables instead

7. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Fact or Fiction? “We are not going nuclear because we are going down the renewables route.“ Minister for Energy (Eamon Ryan), Late Debate, RTE radio

8. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Joint Committee on Climate Change and Energy Security CER submission “… gas and wind generation must be supplemented by other sources, whether coal with carbon capture and storage, nuclear or non-intermittent renewables.”

9. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie EirGrid “concerns that the portfolio … dominated by wind … supported by gas... exposes Ireland to risks both in terms of supply and price volatility.”

10. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Airtricity “a sustainable electricity system is the sum of a portfolio of interdependent technological solutions including renewables” “Should competitive, flexible, smaller scale reactors be proven, then this is an option that Ireland should consider in the longer term.”

11. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Wind output at system peaks

12. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Capacity Credit of Wind http://www.eirgrid.com/media/Generation%20Adequacy%20Report%202010-2016.pdf

13. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Realistic contribution of some renewables - global Maximum additional (thermal equivalent) amounts: Wind x 50 Hydro x 2 Biomass x 3 Geothermal x 70 Marine x 500

14. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Realistic contribution of some renewables - global Maximum additional (thermal equivalent) amounts: Wind x 50 (~ 3 TW) Hydro x 2 (~ 1 TW) Biomass x 3 (~ 1 TW) total < 6 TW Geothermal x 70 (~ 100 GW) (need 15 TW) Marine x 500 (~ 100 GW) Remainder from solar, fission, fusion and new technology

15. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

16. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Fact or Fiction? “Any reasonable cost-benefit analysis concludes that nuclear energy has no future“ Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth OR “..our electricity is more expensive … because they have nuclear energy, which is cheaper.” Mary Coughlan, Tánaiste and Minister for Enterprise, Trade and Employment

17. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie SEI shows nuclear cheaper than wind http://www.seai.ie/Publications/Low_Carbon_Opportunity_Study/Technical_Appendix.pdf

18. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie DIT/BERR: nuclear cheapest new option http://webarchive.nationalarchives.gov.uk/tna/+/http://www.berr.gov.uk/files /file31938.pdf

19. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

20. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Fact or Fiction? “Too big for the Irish Grid” “Plant size is 1600 MW”

21. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie New nuclear plants by 2015-20 Toshiba 4S10 MW Hyperion25 MW PBMR165 MW Babcock & Wilcox SMR185 MW Westinghouse SMR225 MW 10 new plants <= 700 MW will begin operation by 2012 Opportunity, not a threat!

22. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

23. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Not enough fuel? > 70 years at 70,000 tU p.a. @ US$130 /kgU Known Recoverable Resources of Uranium 2009

24. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie

25. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

26. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Segregated + protected + shielded Jet crash test Small target Underground Auto SCRAM Easier targets (chemical, biological) No history Target for terrorists? https://share.sandia.gov/news/resources/video-gallery/index.html#rocketsled

27. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

28. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Use in weapon? Fuel: Low Enriched Uranium (< 5%) Weapon: Highly Enriched Uranium (>20%) State-run enrichment facilities Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty IFNEC (GNEP)? Cannot operate as a nuclear weapon

29. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions Use in nuclear weapons …………Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

30. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Fact or fiction? “nuclear energy is just as polluting in terms of carbon emissions as gas-fired power.” Oisin Coghlan, Friends of the Earth

31. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie IPCC are unequivocal… Figure 4.19 in Climate Change 2007: Working Group III: Mitigation of Climate Change

32. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Future Irish emissions http://www.eirgrid.com/media/Low%20Carbon%20Generation%20Options%20for%20the%20All%20Island%20Market%20%282%29.pdf (POYRY)

33. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste Doesn’t help emissions ………….Fiction Use in nuclear weapons …………Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

34. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie “Waste remains dangerous for hundreds of thousands of years” – fact or fiction? "What is remarkable about nuclear waste is that it fades away. In 600 years the high-level waste from a nuclear power station is no more radioactive or dangerous than the uranium ore from which it originated.” James Lovelock

35. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Waste issues Small quantities (500 m 3 HLW vs 1 bn m 3 ind pa) Retained 50-year waiting period Long life = low radioactivity Geological storage (Finland, Sweden, UK, Switzerland ) Natural reactors (Oklo, 3 billion years ago) Valuable resource - use as fuel?

36. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe No solution for waste …………....Fiction Doesn’t help emissions ………….Fiction Use in nuclear weapons …………Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

37. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie U.S. Industrial Safety Accident Rate 2007 ISAR = Number of accidents resulting in lost work, restricted work, or fatalities per 200,000 worker hours. Electric utilities and manufacturing do not include fatality data. Sources: Nuclear (World Association of Nuclear Operators), 2006 Data for Electric Utilities and Manufacturing (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics). Updated: 4/08

38. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie ISAR = Number of accidents resulting in lost work, restricted work, or fatalities per 200,000 worker hours. Note: Starting in 2008, data includes supplemental personnel. Source: World Association of Nuclear Operators Updated: 4/11 U.S. Nuclear Industrial Safety Accident Rate One-Year Industry Values

39. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie

40. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie

41. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Objections in Ireland It’s not safe …………....................Fiction No solution for waste …………....Fiction Doesn’t help emissions ………….Fiction Use in nuclear weapons …………Fiction Risk of terrorism ……….............. Fiction Fuel will run out ……………………. Fiction They’re too big …………………......Fiction They’re too expensive ….………..Fiction Use renewables instead ………..Fiction

42. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Summary Whirlwind guide Many fallacies circulating Efficiency paramount Serious topic, serious consideration Going gets tough….facts, not fiction!

43. February 2012 better environment with nuclear energy www.bene.ie Radiation and Protection