Let’s start with the most critical questions:
- Nuclear Waste
In countries with nuclear power plants, nuclear waste, which emits significant radiation, is buried meters underground, completely insulated. What will be done with the nuclear waste from Akkuyu, Mersin?
- Waste Heat
Nuclear power plants release significant waste heat. This waste heat is transferred from nuclear power plants located on the coast to the sea, and the operation continues in a continuous heat transfer pattern. This causes serious damage to the flora in that sea. In fact, I know of nuclear power plants in the US that have been shut down solely for this reason. What measures are being considered to minimize the permanent damage caused by waste heat?
- National Security
We are leaving the nuclear power plant to be built in Mersin, one of our distinguished Mediterranean provinces, to be operated by another country. Furthermore, it is clear that we may occasionally encounter conflicts of interest with this neighboring superpower. Would their management of such a power plant put us in a difficult economic and strategic position?
- Accident Risk
My mother’s side of the family is from the Black Sea region. People from the Black Sea region, in particular, suffered greatly due to the Chernobyl disaster. The number of deaths from cancer exploded. We all experienced this painful experience. Even the perfectionist Japanese failed to calculate the risk of a tsunami in the Fukushima disaster. An accident at a nuclear power plant has the same devastating impact as a plane crash. The chance of survival is very low. Even if a person survives, it can cause serious, permanent damage. Although the risk of an accident at the nuclear power plant to be commissioned in Mersin is considered very low, has the tragic situation that would arise if such a problem were to occur been calculated?
Now, I’d like to address other questions I have:
- Cost
How much does this nuclear power plant cost? How many MW of renewable energy (solar, wind, bioenergy – biogas, biomass, biofuel – geothermal, wave, current, etc.) could be built with this investment?
- The incentive price to be paid
What is the incentive price guaranteed by the government? If this price is higher than the incentive price currently applied to renewable energy, should we understand that renewable energy is a priority after nuclear?
- Security of the power plant
Do we have a shield system in place for a missile launched from a neighboring country, God forbid? What precautions does the nuclear power plant have against external interference?
We all aim to leave a more livable and beautiful world for future generations. Sometimes, well-intentioned actions can have negative consequences. Therefore, we are obligated to ask these questions.
Of course, I want to emphasize this: The energy we seek is abundantly available in nature. Only by using the right technologies can we produce and use the energy we need in the most efficient way. Renewable energy, which offers both economic and ecological solutions, does not raise the concerns presented in this article. Therefore, my humble advice is to never stray from renewable energy.
Stay well.
Another nuclear power plant operated by the company that will build the Akkuyu power plant: Kalininskaya NPP
Tag: lifestyle
