Eighty percent of nuclear power plants are more than 20 years old, raising safety concerns, the UN atomic agency warned in a draft report seen by AFP on Tuesday, a year after Japan's Fukushima disaster. This "could impact safety and their ability to meet member states' energy requirements in an economical and efficient manner," the International Atomic Energy Agency's draft annual Nuclear Safety Review said. Countries opting for what it called "long term operation (LTO) must thoroughly analyse the safety aspects related to the ageing of ‘irreplaceable' key components," said the report, due to finalised and published in mid-2012. The IAEA, which promotes the peaceful use of nuclear technology, said that five percent of the world's 435 nuclear facilities have been in operation for more than 40 years and 32 percent for more than 30 years. It said that there were "growing expectations that older nuclear reactors should meet enhanced safety objectives, closer to that of recent or future reactor designs." "There is a concern about the ability of the ageing nuclear fleet to fulfil these expectations and to continue to economically and efficiently support member states' energy requirements," it said. It also said that 70 percent of the world's 254 research reactors -- for producing medical isotopes and other uses -- have been in operation for more than 30 years, many of them "exceeding their original design life." This has raised "serious concerns" amongst research reactor operators, regulators and the public, it said. IAEA chief Yukiya Amano said last week that measures put into place since the Fukushima disaster in March 2011, caused by a massive earthquake and tsunami but also by "human and managerial failings," had made nuclear power safer. Amano said that "good progress" has been made implementing the IAEA's nuclear safety action plan, involving stress tests on nuclear power plants, peer reviews and the strengthening of defences against natural disasters.
GMT 14:36 2018 Sunday ,14 January
Fossil fuels blown away by wind in cost terms: studyGMT 18:20 2018 Thursday ,11 January
Ukraine to launch its first solar plant at ChernobylGMT 18:44 2018 Tuesday ,09 January
Finland's Fortum snaps up EON's fossil fuels stakeGMT 17:39 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Norway powers ahead electrically with over half of new car sales now electric or hybridGMT 15:36 2018 Wednesday ,03 January
Minister of Mining Says Govt. Invested MAD 12.3 Billion between 2003-2017GMT 18:00 2017 Saturday ,23 December
Energy prices bump key US inflation index up in NovemberGMT 09:01 2017 Friday ,15 December
BP plan to buy Australian petrol pump network blockedGMT 14:54 2017 Monday ,27 November
Belarus nuclear power plant stirs fears in LithuaniaMaintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Maintained and developed by Arabs Today Group SAL.
All rights reserved to Arab Today Media Group 2021 ©
Send your comments
Your comment as a visitor