Chinese nuclear disaster “highly probable” by 2030

[bananas]

Source: China Dialogue

China is heading for a nuclear accident if it continues with current construction plans, says former state nuclear physicist and prominent critic He Zuoxiu.

<snip>

If we refer to the data from Japan’s experiences, China will “most probably” suffer a nuclear disaster around 2050.

But if China sticks to plans to build another 30 third-generation power stations between 2015 and 2020, the risks rocket. No AP1000 reactors – one of the key third-generation designs – have yet been built anywhere in the world, meaning there are no reactor-years of experience. Only the figures of 267 reactor-years from Three Mile Island’s 267 reactor years and Chernobyl’s 162 reactor-years can be used as reference. Even if we take the larger of those numbers, that brings the “most probable” period for a nuclear accident in China forward to between 2020 and 2030.

<snip>

For safety’s sake, it would be better to stop at 41 reactors, a number due to be reached in 2015.

<snip>

Read more: http://www.chinadialogue.net/article/show/single/en/5808

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He Zuoxiu is a member of the Chinese Academy of Sciences and researcher at the CAS Institute of Theoretical Physics.

Via http://www.nucpros.com/content/chinese-nuclear-disaster-%E2%80%9Chighly-probable%E2%80%9D-2030

[cstanleytech]

1. I will never understand why countries keep building nuclear reactors.

After all you would think that the danger from an accident on top of the long term danger from spent fuel storage would be all the discouragement that was needed.

[bananas]

2. Lobbying, PR, Bribery, etc

It's a corrupt industry.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-pacific-11794199

Former China nuclear head jailed for life over bribes

19 November 2010

The former head of China's main nuclear energy company has been jailed for life for taking almost $1m in bribes.

Kang Rixin was dismissed last year from the state-owned China National Nuclear Corporation, the biggest operator of nuclear power plants in China.

He was convicted by a Beijing court of abusing his position to enable others to profit, state media said.

He was spared the death penalty because he co-operated with investigators and returned the funds.

<snip>

[Cronus Protagonist]

3. IMHO It's simply because that's how you get fissionable material to breed new weaponry

After all, with the US looking over your shoulder all the time and its brazillions of warheads looming, you would want a way to breed all the nukes you feel you want. It's madness.

[firenewt]

4. Thanks for that thought. Now I have one more thing to worry about.