Whether the atomic power station is necessary for Belarus?
Egor FEDJUSHIN
Recently the Security Council of Belarus has made the final decision on construction of the atomic power station. We shall leave this decision on its conscience. I am confident, that sooner or later this decision will be recognized erroneous, and there will be those extreme on who will fall down the responsibility. And can, and will not be. All will be written off on collective irresponsibility as it at us not time happened in the past. We try to forget and Afghanistan, and Chernobyl, and many other things on what clever people should study. But our management, referring to imaginary cheapness and safety that is why and without alternative award of nuclear power, has chosen not the best variant of maintenance of national safety of the country. Now of mass-media of Belarus have already started massed processing public opinion, trying to convince us in brilliant prospects of a nuclear way of the development. As the physicist - nuclear engineering, 35 years, given out to nuclear power, I should see that global problem already existing as result of huge moral (psychological) damage, put to the population of our country Chernobyl failure about which recently completely ignore. Besides it is necessary to take into account and many physiological factors, and, in particular, that Belarus in a sad rating on a cancer of a stomach stands on the second place after Japan among 111 countries of the world. And in fact even these two already existing aspects carry in themselves huge danger to the future of our nation for as independent physicians ascertain, there were negative genic changes in organisms of our children which will be kept in the subsequent generations. Therefore, it seems to me what even to bring an attention to the question on construction of the atomic power station in Belarus, at least, is immoral. I remember, 18 years ago I have written article «Radiation against metal or how to provide safety of the atomic power station». Then we were in structure of the USSR and, naturally, in article the prospect of development of nuclear and thermonuclear power in the Soviet Union in a context of world tendencies existing at that time was considered. Article in the beginning has been published in the academic newspaper, whether and then has been reprinted in some other newspapers under the name «Is there a future at the atomic power station?». I shall result some fragments from that article: «… Manufacture and consumption of fuel and energy in our country is at a level of the most advanced countries (7,5 tons of conditional fuel one year per capita - hardly less, than in the USA and hardly are more, than in Europe). But, despite of it, the standard of well-being of our people is many times lower, than in these countries. Therefore it is completely clear, that the exit will consist of crisis not in the further escalating manufacture of energy. Priorities will be given to the nearest years to other problems: resource economy, modernizations and rationalization of manufacture, economy of energy …. The large atomic engineering cannot develop further only on the basis of modern nuclear-power concepts which base are light-water reactors. New concepts are required, - as on reactors and the atomic power station as a whole, and on a fuel cycle and under the manipulation with radioactive waste products, - simultaneously providing radical increase of nuclear safety, improvement of fuel balance …». Article has been written 18 years ago, but what has changed since then? In nuclear power it is almost anything. But for this time the world science has opened new opportunities for development of power. And my final conclusion in article, that all to give up as a bad job the future of the atomic power station still is premature, has been applicable to those conditions when we were in structure of the USSR. Now it is fair as applied only to those countries, at which economy is guided by nuclear power. For Belarus it is nonsense. It is unreasonable to begin such doubtful project - «expensive long-term construction». I could not think at that time at all, that after disintegration of the USSR, someone can seriously suggest to build the atomic power station in territory of Belarus. And have suggested. Also it has already decided. But let's think before, whether so this construction is necessary. The program of construction of the atomic power station in Belarus will swallow up billions dollars and, most likely, will not be executed, and the nuclear lobby will blackmail subsequently the government with an opportunity of failures and to demand new investments. And all this due to the distressful Belarusian people till now experiencing Chernobyl. The mythical economic gain from construction of the atomic power station will soon dissipate at specification of calculations and the account of all expenses. To speak about increase of military safety too, at least, is strange. In the beginning of this year the London newspaper in Arabian language "Al-Hajat" has published interview to head of the IAEA which has declared, that terrorists can make attempt to blow up a nuclear reactor or a warehouse with radioactive materials in a megapolis. The quantity of victims of such act of terrorism can be estimated hundreds thousand person, and its consequences can eclipse acts of terrorism on September, 11. It is known, that the similar plan is born with tens various terrorist groupings. And every day danger of grows that they will manage to carry out the plan. It turns out what completely to secure the atomic power station against terrorism or a military attack hardly it will be possible. As to power independence here again to any person it is clear, that nuclear dependence is much more serious hydrocarbonic. Not casually dynamics of development of nuclear power for last 20 years is much lower, than use of other energy sources. And this tendency will proceed. Already now industrially advanced countries at home have practically stopped construction of the new atomic power stations. Continue them to build only those countries which create nuclear arsenals (China, South Korea, India and Pakistan). But … it is their problems. We were vainly hooked for old, becoming obsolete nuclear technology of the middle of the last century. It does not promise to us any prospects of development. Having started construction of the atomic power station, we shall waste time, and time is an opportunity of a choice. Hasty accepted decision means, that the opportunity of a choice at us any more will not be. And we exhaust ourselves in impasse. Belarus is all the unique country on many parameters. For example, whenever possible developments of small power, by amount of fresh water which already becomes a strategic resource, etc. And it should be used. In present critical conditions when there are no investments and power resources, it would be necessary for our economists to define economic - forming priority branch which development will pull behind itself all other branches of economy. Such theory of economic ramming has justified itself in Japan, South Korea, Malaysia. For example, in conditions of shortage of natural resources and energy carriers the economy of Japan is based basically on two high technology branches: microelectronics and small-displacement motor industry. In my opinion, in conditions of stagnation of nuclear power nuclear corporations want to export to us (and not only to us) nuclear technologies which in the West are not in demand. From all basic kinds of energy the nuclear power is the most expensive and in addition to this the enormous damage and causes to the nature and a society. It survives only there where huge grants are paid and where it protect from a healthy competition. It absorbs means which could be invested in more comprehensible alternative sources. It seems to me, all of us should reflect also above the recent message on that, company MidAmerican Nuclear Energy has declared refusal of construction of the atomic power station in county Paiet, state Idaho, the USA. «Strict expert examination has led us to a conclusion what now to develop the project has no any economic sense», - is spoken in the statement of campaign on an official site. One of owners MidAmerican Nuclear Energy is Warren Buffet - the most well-known investor of the present entering on a rating of magazine Forbes in the five of the richest people the USA (the capital $36 billion). «If Buffet cannot think up how to earn at nuclear station, then to whom it in general under force? », - Michael Mariotte, director of Information and resource service on a nuclear energy (Nuclear Information and Resource Service, NIRS) makes comments. Under information NIRS of the price for construction of nuclear reactors for last 2-3 years have flied up on 300-400 %. It is considered, that high cost and unresolved problems in the field of safety and recycling of radioactive waste products have stopped development of atomic engineering in the USA where after 1978 it has not been made any order for construction of a nuclear reactor. In my opinion, today in Belarus are absent economic, social and specifications for development of atomic engineering. In this connection, to our government and the National academy of sciences for only from its submission such decision could be accepted, it is necessary to reconsider the relation to atomic engineering as to inevitable necessity, having initiated carrying out of researches in the field of use of alternative energy sources. We should take into account the world tendency to ecological cleanliness of our man-caused civilizations. Now all over the world splash in interest to use of renewed power resources by virtue of their ecological cleanliness, an opportunity of replacement by them the exhaustible organic fuel and an opportunity of their application in independent energy sources are observed. And this tendency will amplify every year. Wind, solar and especially geothermal power win the increasing densities in a power balance of many countries. By then, when the Belarusian atomic power station will start though in part to compensate the spent enormous means alternative to technology which rate of development is incomparably higher than rates of development of the atomic power station, will take an outstanding place in power of the advanced countries. And we again should catch up. With scientific and from the practical point of view it is more expedient to put means in more perspective directions in power, with a sight not on the past, and on the future. In my opinion, many opening already have now appeared, capable radically to change concepts about bases of construction of a matter, forms of its interaction and display. Hence, there are many new ways of reception of the energy latent from us from surrounding space. The certificate to that - known works of Akimov and Shipov, theoretical and technological developments of Leonov and Dudyshev, Potapov and Gritskevich and other researchers who realize modern scientific achievements from area of hydrodynamics, flow dynamics, magnetodynamics, physics of vacuum, etc. And behind them is the future. It is and not so remote. Belarus in these conditions could force development of small power and development of perspective technologies, not dependent on presence of natural power resources. In fact hundreds unfuel power plants of this direction already successfully work, proving a reality of existence of new power. For example, manufacture of electric energy by Vladimir Leonov's quantum engine-generators with capacity of 100 kw allows to reduce tariffs for the electric power in 2,8 times, and quantum heat-generators are capable to reduce tariffs for heat in 8 times. Thus it is not required neither chemical, nor nuclear fuel. On a crest of a wave on development of such technologies we could develop the national science and strengthen scientific and technical potential of the country. On this way of us new achievements, opening and patents which, by the way, could be sold to other countries could expect. I hope, you agree with me, that it will be more reasonable to spend the nearest years some tens millions dollars for creation of expert-test institute which would engage in introduction of these technologies in our energy, than senselessly to spend them for construction of the atomic power station. Certainly, political support of power structures is necessary for realization of new technologies and, first of all, old academic elite. Financial structures and business in conditions of inefficient economy as a whole are not interested in innovative activity. The serious legislative base stimulating the investments into new technologies without which structural reorganization of our out-of-date economic model is impossible is necessary, certainly, it is necessary to work at this direction much. But it will be the fruitful work directed on development of own economy. And, having undertaken for nuclear adventure, we shall be compelled, as they say, «to work on the uncle», to support a high level of the nuclear industry of the state - the supplier of the atomic power station, and at myself to leave in the inheritance to our children and grandsons a heap of problems. It is necessary to agree with the statement of a management of the country, that «today the science is an integral part of industrial potential of the country, base of its innovative development. Researches of domestic scientists in many respects define the future of our state, dynamics of growth of well-being of its citizens». However, even the fluent analysis of a modern condition of an official science in Belarus, fundamental and branch, in view of last decision on construction of the atomic power station (in fact it was based on recommendations of the NSA RB) allows to conclude, that this major component of our society, having got confused in attempts to solve momentary tasks of applied character, is doomed for pity existence. I think that, sooner or later, the life will force us to proceed to new, non-polluting and independent energy sources.