Engineering news
Fresh work will need to take place to educate the public on the benefits of nuclear energy in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear accident, and plans for a new generation of UK power stations should not be put on hold, experts have said.
Inan exclusive interview with PE, Moshe Kam, the new president and chief executive of the US Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE), said that the accident had the potential to damage perceptions of engineering and nuclear energy despite the progress that had been made in improving public perception of nuclear power in Britain.
Lastmonth Stephen Tetlow, IMechE chief executive, said that the explosions at the Fukushima nuclear power plant “must not derail” the UK’s nuclear energy plans. Meanwhile Germany and Switzerland suspended decisions on future nuclear power as a result of the accidents at the Japanese plant.
Tetlow said: “We are beginning to see knee-jerk reactions against nuclear power inthis country and across Europe which could prove to be profoundly damaging toour long-term energy security.”
Hiscomments came as the Health and Safety Executive announced details of the report which Mike Weightman, HM chief inspector of nuclear installations, will make on the Fukushima incident. The report is due in September.
Kamof the IEEE said: “Everybody was of the opinion that if anybody was ready for the worst calamity in terms of earthquakes it was Japan – and to a large extent that’s correct.
“This accident has the potential to damage the image of engineering. I am concerned about the public’s perception of nuclear engineering as a source of power. People dying early due to pollution from fossil fuels is much less visible. We probably have to continue to work on education in terms of nuclear power. When something goes wrong even if very few people are injured it’s thought of as the end of the world.”
Kam highlighted the fact that the actions of engineers are often reported in the press when things go wrong, and scientists when they go right. “If you consider Nasa, from time to time it has seen mishaps and accidents. When you look at press coverage when Nasa has a big achievement it is usually described as ‘Nasa scientists announced’.
“When something breaks or catches fire or a robot is lost, or communication lost with a probe, the description is that ‘NASA engineers are working on it’. And to some extent, therein lies the problem,” he said.
Japan has promised to overhaul nuclear safety standards once it regains control of the wrecked Fukushima complex, admitting its current safeguards were not enough. The struggle to contain radiation at the complex has unfolded with near-constant setbacks – including two workers drenched with radioactive water despite wearing supposedly waterproof suits. The unfolding drama has drawn increasing criticism of the company that owns the plant as well as scrutiny of Japan’s readiness for nuclear crises.
Chief cabinet secretary Yukio Edano admitted: “Our preparedness was not sufficient. When the current crisis is over, we must examine the accident closely and thoroughly review safety standards.”
The Tokyo Electric Power Company had dismissed scientific evidence and geological history that indicated that a massive earthquake – and subsequent tsunami – wasfar more likely than they believed. That left the complex with nowhere near enough protection against the 11 March tsunami triggered by the massive offshore earthquake.
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