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| 1 |
ID:
117285
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| Publication |
2013.
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| Summary/Abstract |
The Fukushima nuclear accident on March 11, 2011 in Japan has severely dented the prospects of growth of civilian nuclear power in many countries. Although Japan's worst nuclear accident was triggered by an unprecedented earthquake and tsunami, inadequate safety countermeasures and collusive ties between the plant operators, regulators, and government officials left the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant beyond redemption. A critical examination of the accident reveals that the accumulation of various technical and institutional lapses only compounded the nuclear disaster. Besides technical fixes such as enhanced engineering safety features and better siting choices, the critical ingredient for safe operation of nuclear reactors lie in the quality of human training and transparency of the nuclear regulatory process that keeps public interest-not utility interest-at the forefront. The need for a credible and transparent analysis of the social benefits and risks of nuclear power is emphasized in the context of energy portfolio choice.
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| 2 |
ID:
149952
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| Summary/Abstract |
This article reviews the current status and future prospects of commercial nuclear electric power, with emphasis on issues of safety, physical security, proliferation, and economics. Discussions of these issues are presented separately for the current operating fleet, for new reactor designs similar in size to the current fleet, and for prospective new reactors of substantially smaller size. This article also discusses the issue of expansion of commercial nuclear power into new countries. The article concludes with recommendations, related both to technical issues and policy considerations. The major implications for policy are that although the level of safety and security achieved in today's operating reactor fleet worldwide is considered broadly acceptable, some advanced designs now under development potentially offer demonstrably safer performance, and may offer improved financial performance also. Management and safety culture are vital attributes for achieving adequate safety and security, as are a strong political culture that includes an absence of corruption, an independent regulatory authority, and a separation of nuclear operation from day-to-day politics. In some countries that are now considering a nuclear-power program for the first time, careful attention to these attributes will be essential for success.
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