In this blog post, we will examine why we still rely on nuclear power, focusing on the economic feasibility, environmental impact, and safety controversies surrounding nuclear power generation.
The use of nuclear power is increasing worldwide as it reduces fossil fuel consumption and curbs electricity price increases. In particular, nuclear power has been widely discussed as a way to reduce carbon emissions. This is because the world is striving to reduce carbon emissions as environmental issues such as global warming become more serious. Many countries are actively introducing renewable energy, but with current technology, nuclear power is considered an alternative for a stable power supply.
However, nuclear power is very dangerous because of the serious consequences of accidents such as the Fukushima nuclear accident in March 2011 and the Chernobyl nuclear accident in 1986. According to a recent report, stricter regulations are needed to ensure the safety of nuclear power plants, and this is expected to increase costs. Countries around the world are preparing measures to deal with nuclear accidents, but there is still no perfect solution.
The economic viability of nuclear power continues to be debated. Nuclear power is less economical than other forms of power generation due to hidden costs, and its construction, operation, and disposal are very expensive. In addition, spent nuclear fuel must be stored in special facilities, which is also costly. At the World Energy Outlook conference, Japan announced that it had suspended operations at 51 of the 54 nuclear power plants that had been in operation after the Fukushima nuclear accident and that it would shut down all nuclear power plants by 2050. According to recent data, Japan is planning to restart nine nuclear power plants by 2023 and gradually shut down the remaining plants. This shows that an accurate assessment requires consideration not only of the construction, operating, and fuel costs of power plants, but also the costs of decommissioning and waste disposal.
According to a report on the future of nuclear power by MIT in the US, nuclear power is more expensive per kWh than coal, oil, and gas combined. The post-treatment costs of nuclear power include the costs of dismantling nuclear power plants, radioactive waste disposal, and nuclear fuel disposal, which amounted to 20 trillion won in 2023 alone, a considerable amount of money. Considering the economic feasibility of the construction, operation, and closure of nuclear power plants, nuclear power is not economical.
Not only that, but nuclear power has a significant negative impact on the environment. It emits large amounts of nuclear waste and has low thermal efficiency. Hiroaki Koide’s book, “The Hidden Truth About Nuclear Power,” discusses misconceptions about nuclear power and states that nuclear power is not only unsafe but also produces large amounts of waste. According to recent studies, nuclear power generates large amounts of carbon dioxide and nuclear fission products. In addition, nuclear power plants have low thermal efficiency, discharging two-thirds of the energy they generate into the sea, raising the sea temperature by an average of 7 degrees Celsius. This leads to an increase in carbon dioxide emissions.
Furthermore, the need for spent nuclear fuel disposal facilities poses a significant risk, which is not economically viable. Korea currently operates 25 nuclear power plants, and storage facilities are needed as the amount of spent nuclear fuel increases. As of 2023, storage space for spent nuclear fuel will reach capacity, putting some nuclear power plants at risk of shutdown. To resolve this issue, the government plans to construct and operate a spent nuclear fuel disposal facility by 2050.
Some countries have abandoned nuclear power following the Fukushima disaster in Japan, while others oppose nuclear power for political reasons. Germany was the first OECD member country to declare its abandonment of nuclear power and shut down all nuclear power plants by 2022. Eight of the 17 nuclear power plants in Germany have already been permanently shut down, and the remaining nine were shut down at the end of 2022. With the closure of nuclear power plants, which accounted for 20% of electricity production, dependence on renewable energy and natural gas has increased. The Merkel administration declared its abandonment of nuclear power because of the Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan. Since the Fukushima nuclear accident, Germany’s political landscape has shifted toward anti-nuclear sentiment, and for political reasons, Germany as a whole tends to shy away from nuclear power.
This is not the only controversy surrounding nuclear power generation. Another major issue is the opposition of local residents during the site selection process for power plant construction. Power plants are built in sparsely populated and economically disadvantaged areas, which places a heavy burden on local residents. They oppose the construction of power plants on the grounds that it will worsen their living environment and pose a threat to their health. In many cases, the economic benefits of power plant construction do not directly benefit residents, leading to discontent. These issues undermine trust in the transparency and fairness of the power plant construction process and deepen negative perceptions of nuclear power.
For these reasons, nuclear power faces many challenges from an economic, environmental, and political perspective. Therefore, we must reconsider the use of nuclear power and seek safer and more sustainable alternative energy sources. To this end, it is important for the government, businesses, and civil society to work together to establish and implement new energy policies. We must not forget that reducing the use of nuclear power and increasing the share of renewable energy is essential for our future.
