Airport nuclear site fears
The National Energy Department recently confirmed the possibility of building one or more nuclear power stations in KwaZulu-Natal to feed the growing demand by energy-intensive industries in Durban, Richards Bay and other areas. One of the proposed sites
THE thought of having a nuclear power station built at the old airport site south of Durban has sent shivers down the spines of area residents.
Environmentalists and community activists have rejected the idea, warning of potential catastrophic results as the site is close to oil refineries, chemical businesses and residential areas, including Merebank, Wentworth and Isipingo.
“If there is a radioactive leak or an explosion, it would result in devastation. A nuclear power station should never be built in Durban, in South Africa or on the continent,” said environmental activist Desmond D’sa.
“The airport site was one proposed by the government. If something happened, imagine all that radioactive waste being dumped into our seas and rivers. It will contaminate our groundwater, the soil, our fish stock and our foods,” he warned.
“What about the little animal life we have there? It will be gone and so will our unspoilt natural beauty. Added to that, it will kill hundreds of thousands of people. The effects of radiation will result in further catastrophe for years to come.”
D’sa has not heard of nuclear power stations being developed near oil refineries.
“Engine and Sapref are chemical plants and highly flammable. There was a small fire at Engine recently resulting in them emitting gas. If there was an explosion and there was a nuclear plant nearby, it could result in turmoil.”
He continued: “The Chernobyl disaster happened in 1986 and to this day people’s health is still being affected.”
Nuclear power plants use nuclear fission to produce electricity, splitting apart atoms to form smaller atoms, thereby releasing energy.
D’sa said that no matter what modern technology was involved, one could not prevent radioactive leaks.
According to reports, it is understood the old airport site is being considered as a potential option because of its proximity to the South Durban Industrial Zone, the second largest industrial manufacturing hub in the country.
Studies
During a briefing by the Department of Energy on nuclear procurement, its nuclear energy deputy director-general, Zizamele Mbambo, told POST’s sister publication, The Mercury, that the current investigation into KwaZulu-Natal was restricted to desktop studies.
He said no field work had been done yet to assess issues such as geological stability (earthquakes), tsunamis, floods and other site-specific environmental impacts.
It reported that the primary motivation to locate new nuclear generation in KZN was that most of Eskom’s coal-fired power stations were in Mpumalanga, resulting in significant transmission losses as electricity was transferred over long distances via power lines. These losses could be reduced by locating plants closer to areas of high demand in KZN.
Because nuclear stations also needed large volumes of water for cooling, coastal locations were preferable.
D’sa said Engen, Sapref, Mondi and other chemical businesses were within a 3-5km radius of the site.
“There is hardly a buffer zone. Residential areas like Merebank, Isipingo, Wentworth and Lamontville are located nearby.
“People’s lives and their health will be affected.”
He said building a nuclear power station would cost trillions of rand.
“Do we have this money? No. It will take years to build, and nuclear energy is not cheap. “People will not be able to afford it and will move off the grid.”
D’sa suggested that the government rather invest in renewable energy in the form of wind farms and solar panels.
He said wind power consumed no fuel and emitted no air pollution.
“It can also be put up in less than a year. Another option is for South Africans to install solar panels. It’s far cheaper.”
But South Africa and Russia recently signed two memoranda of understanding aimed at strengthening efforts between the countries in the field of nuclear energy.
They was signed by the Department of Energy and the Russian state-owned nuclear company, Rosatom.
Delwyn Pillay of Greenpeace, Durban, said: “South Africa does not have the money or the capacity to build a nuclear plant, so if they partner with Rosatom, they could loan about R1 trillion.
“Other than this, there are other costs involved.
“We would also require insurance to protect ourselves against disasters and this could be a couple of million.”
Pillay said that in the event of a disaster, it would be chaos to evacuate those living and working in surrounding areas.
Fellow environmental activist Bryan Ashe said the secrecy over nuclear deals was common throughout the world because it was a highly dangerous industry.
He said it was vital for a public risk assessment to be done.
“For a person who monitors the nuclear industry, constructing a nuclear plant in Durban will never work because it will not be feasible to put a nuclear reactor in a highly industrialised and populated area.
“South Africa’s whole nuclear programme does not make sense,” he said. “It’s nuclear madness.” The eThekwini Municipality said it did not have information regarding any nuclear power station proposal.
The spokesman for the Department of Energy, Johannes Mokobane said: “I am not in a position to confirm anything at the moment.
“At this stage there is consultation between the department and National Treasury around the issue of procurement taking place.”