Stichting Laka

Publicatie Laka-bibliotheek:
Non-nuclear options for replacing Chernobyl (1994)

Auteur	Natural Resource Defense Council
Datum	juni 1994
Classificatie	2.41.0.00/04 (OEKRAÏNE - ALGEMEEN)
Voorkant

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

The upcoming G-7 Summit in Naples is expected to address the various options 
for helping Ukraine to shut down the Chernobyl nuclear power plant. One 
proposed option is for the West to help complete three partially-constructed 
VVER-1000 reactors to replace Chernobyl's generating capacity.
The Natural Resources Defence Council strongly believes that the United States 
should not propose or support additional investments in nuclear power in Ukraine, 
at this time. Instead, the United States Government should provide technical and 
financial help with energy efficiency and renewable energy options. The United States 
Government should also offer to assist the Ukraine in undertaking a process of 
Integrated Resource Planning, which would provide a strong analytical basis for 
making critical investment decisions about that nation's energy future.
Providing replacement capacity for Chernobyl (1800 MW) can be achieved using 
energy conservation and renewable energy options in the next 18 months. According 
to the World Bank and the Ukrainian Academy of Sciences, conservation measures 
have the potential to make the completion of additional reactors unnecessary by 
providing economic, low-risk solutions that can be implemented in the near term. In 
addition, substantial potential for renewable energy has been identified. No-cost to 
moderate-cost industrial conservation, reductions in transmission and distribution 
losses, and the development of renewable energy could provide more than 10,000 
MW of capacity in the next five years alone.
At NRDC's urging, 17 American companies have written to the Department of Energy 
expressing their willingness and ability to undertake energy efficiency and renewable 
energy projects in Ukraine. There is broad agreement that Ukraine has tremendous 
potential for wind energy, and one of the companies which wrote, Kenetech 
Windpower, already has existing operations in Ukraine. It is our understanding that 
DOE is now involved in discussions with Kenetech and three energy efficiency 
suppliers to explore how to replace Chernobyl.
The United States should oppose the completion of additional nuclear reactors in 
Ukraine for reasons of safety. To date, there has never been a full, independent 
evaluation of the safety of these reactors. In April, 1993, the International Atomic 
Energy Agency identified 16 areas where VVER-1000 design standards and codes are 
deficient when compared to Western standards. Low wages, inadequate training, 
shortage of supplies and the lack of quality control programs have all contributed 
to the lack of a strong "safety culture" at Ukrainian nuclear facilities.
The unsatisfactory and ambiguous status of the international civil liability 
regime for nuclear power argues against completing VVER-1000 reactors with
US Government financing or assistance since such an action could expose the
United States to billions of dollars in liability as the result of an accident.

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