TNB is looking to start 1st nuclear plant by 2025

JOHOR BARU: The nation’s largest power supplier Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) is looking towards starting its first nuclear power plant by 2025 once it gets the go-ahead from the government.

TNB nuclear energy head Dr Mohd Zamzam Jaafar said that the country had to prepare for a nuclear future as present energy sources faced uncertainty amid volatile prices and scant resources.

He noted that by 2019, current gas resources would have dwindled and the country would need to double its import of coal, making nuclear energy technology the best option forward.

To ensure reliable and reasonably priced electricity, the proven base-load nuclear option must not be precluded.

“We will be working with the Korea Electric Power Corporation on a nuclear pre-feasibility study,” he said adding that other countries which had forged ahead with nuclear power plants included France, South Korea, Canada, Germany, US, Japan and China.

Although possible locations for the nuclear power plants had yet to be disclosed, Dr Zamzam said that it was possible the country might have four plants, similar to nuclear energy driven countries like South Korea.

Dr Zamzam added that the cost of a nuclear plant will vary according to the design with the Chinese design for a 1,000 MW plant costing US2billion (RM6.9bil), while a Russian design would cost 2 billion Euros (RM9.9bil). A US design would cost approximately US$4bil (RM13.9bil).

The cost for research and feasibility could be around RM2mil, he said.

He was speaking at a media briefing on conventional and alternative energy technologies in Terengganu recently.

At present, TNB’s power generation is a mix of gas at 50 percent, coal at 35 percent, hydro at 14 percent and oil, more than one percent.

Dr Zamzam noted that nuclear power was also more competitively priced in terms of electricity compared to other energy resources and the threat of radiation risk was minimal.

Nuclear power plants have low radiation exposure, he said adding that most plants had a target radiation level of 0.05 millisievert (mSv) per year, the same radiation a person would be exposed to in a single x-ray mass examination.

Dr Zamzam also said nuclear power plants use less land compared to hydro plants and were more stable compared to alternatives like wind and solar energy.

He noted that with uncertain future supply and volatile fossil fuel prices, nuclear power could be viewed as a proven insurance base load power generation option, resulting in a more stable electricity tariff.

source:the star news paper

The sixth fuel: Nuclear energy for Malaysia

Article Highlights

• Even after the Fukushima accident, Malaysia's current government leaders are much more receptive to nuclear energy than their predecessors were.
• There is no question that Malaysia needs new sources of energy to meet future demands without relying heavily on imports.
• We believe that Malaysia can meet its future energy needs with renewable energy sources instead of nuclear power.

Should Malaysia go nuclear to meet its future energy demands? That question has been the focus of heated political debate in Malaysia for the past eight years. Mahathir Mohamad, who served as prime minister from 1981 to 2003, was firmly committed to a non-nuclear Malaysia. But since his departure, his successors have made some moves toward nuclear energy production. In December 2010, for example, Peter Chin, the country's energy minister, announced plans to build two 1,000-megawatt nuclear power plants by 2022. A month later, Prime Minister Najib Razak announced the establishment of the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation, which will lead the planning process.

The Fukushima nuclear accident, however, has raised new doubts about whether Malaysia is ready for nuclear power. Malaysian experts disagree over the need for nuclear power plants, and their potential impact on public safety and the environment. There is little doubt that Malaysia must develop new energy sources to meet its future energy demands without relying on costly foreign imports. But these demands can be met with renewable energy instead.

A history of successful energy policy. In any debate over Malaysian energy policies, three important documents are always used as points of reference. The first was Malaysia's 1979 National Energy Policy, the objective of which was to ensure an adequate, secure, and cost-effective supply of energy -- as well as to promote energy efficiency while discouraging wasteful and unproductive patterns of energy consumption. The second key document was the 1981 four-fuel diversification policy, which was formulated to reduce over-dependence on a single fuel source by developing four types of energy: hydropower, oil, natural gas, and coal. Finally, the third reference point was the five-fuel diversification policy introduced in 2000, which included renewable energy (except hydropower) as a fifth energy source.

The need for nuclear. Proponents of nuclear power point to the current energy situation in Malaysia as evidence that new energy sources must be developed. Government officials believe that Malaysia's current energy sources will not be sustainable beyond 2020, and that the depletion of the nation's fossil-fuel resources is a threat to national security.

The dangers of a nuclear Malaysia. Even before the Fukushima accident, anti-nuclear lobbyists in Malaysia raised concerns about the potential for an accident like the 1986 Chernobyl disaster. Going nuclear is highly risky for any country, and would be especially problematic for Malaysia -- a nation less capable of coping with a nuclear accident than countries such as Japan and Russia.

A better choice. Despite all the criticisms and concerns expressed by the general public as well as by activist groups, the Malaysian government has not been able to provide any assurances that nuclear power will be safe and environmentally friendly. If government officials persist in going nuclear without providing satisfactory assurances, they will likely face unwelcome political repercussions.

Malaysia is also exploring other renewable energy options including biomass, biogas, mini-hydropower systems, solar photovoltaics, and generating electricity from municipal waste. The total generating potential for these renewable resources is more than 9,000 megawatts.

The problem with nuclear energy, compared with all other sources of electricity, is that when things do go wrong, the consequences are far, far worse. Fortunately, Malaysia has safer choices available. By focusing on improvements in efficiency -- and investing in renewable energy sources such as in solar, wind, and hydropower -- Malaysia can continue to meet its growing energy demands well into the future.

reference: http://www.thebulletin.org/web-edition/op-eds/the-sixth-fuel-nuclear-energy-malaysia

Advantage And Disadvantages Of Nuclear Power Plant

What are the Advantages of Nuclear Energy?

• Nuclear reactions release a million times more energy, as compared to hydro or wind energy. Hence, a large amount of electricity can be generated. 
• The biggest advantage of nuclear energy is that there is no release of greenhouse gases (carbon dioxide, methane, ozone, chlorofluorocarbon) during nuclear reaction. The greenhouse gases are a major threat in the current scenario, as they cause global warming and climate change. As there is no emission of these gases during nuclear reaction, there is very little effect on the environment.
• Nuclear reactors make use of uranium as fuel. Fission reaction of a small amount of uranium generates large amount of energy. Currently, the high reserves of uranium found on Earth, are expected to last for another 100 years.
• High amount of energy can be generated from a single nuclear power plant. Also,nuclear fuel is inexpensive and easier to transport.

What are the Disadvantages of Nuclear Energy?

• Nuclear energy can be used for production and proliferation of nuclear weapons. Nuclear weapons make use of fission, fusion or combination of both reactions for destructive purposes. They are a major threat to the world as they can cause a large-scale devastation.
• Requires large capital cost. Around 15-20 years are required to develop a single plant. Hence, it is not very feasible to build a nuclear power plant. The nuclear reactors will work only as long as uranium is available. Its extinction can again result in a grave problem.
• The waste produced after fission reactions contains unstable elements and is highly radioactive. It is very dangerous to the environment as well as human health, and remains for thousands of years. It needs professional handling and should be kept isolated from the living environment. The radioactivity of these elements reduces over a period of time, after decaying. Hence, they have to be carefully stored. It is very difficult to store radioactive elements for a long period.

The Chernobyl disaster that occurred at the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant in 1986 in Ukraine, was the worst nuclear power plant disaster. One of the nuclear reactors of the plant exploded,releasing high amount of radiation in the environment. It resulted in thousands of casualties, mostly due to exposure to harmful radiation. One cannot deny the possibility of repetition of such disasters in future.

How Nuclear Energy Work

Nuclear Fission refers to either a nuclear reaction or a radioactive decay process in which the nucleus of an atom splits into smaller parts (lighter nuclei), often producing free neutrons and photons (in the form of gamma rays), and releasing a very large amount of energy, even by the energetic standards of radioactive decay. The two nuclei produced are most often of comparable but slightly different sizes, typically with a mass ratio of products of about 3 to 2, for common fissile isotopes.Most fissions are binary fissions (producing two charged fragments), but occasionally (2 to 4 times per 1000 events), three positively charged fragments are produced, in a ternary fission. The smallest of these fragments in ternary processes ranges in size from a proton to an argon nucleus.

Fission of heavy elements is an exothermic reaction which can release large amounts of energy both as electromagnetic radiation and as kinetic energy of the fragments (heating the bulk material where fission takes place). In order for fission to produce energy, the total binding energy of the resulting elements must be greater than that of the starting element. Fission is a form of nuclear transmutation because the resulting fragments are not the same element as the original atom.

 Splitting the Uranium Atom: 

Uranium is the principle element used in nuclear reactors and in certain types of atomic bombs. The specific isotope used is U-235. When a stray neutron strikes a U-235 nucleus, it is at first absorbed into it. This creates U-236. U-236 is unstable and this causes the atom to fission. The fissioning of U-236 can produce over twenty different products. However, the products' masses always add up to 236. The following two equations are examples of the different products that can be produced when U-235 fissions:

U-235 + 1 neutron 2 neutrons + 92Kr + 142Ba + ENERGY 

U-235 + 1 neutron 2 neutrons + 92Sr + 140Xe + ENERGY

In each of the above reactions, 1 neutron splits the atom. When the atom is split, 1 additional neutron is released. This is how a chain reaction works. If more U-235 is present, those 2 neutrons can cause 2 more atoms to split. Each of those atoms releases 1 more neutron bringing the total neutrons to 4. Those 4 neutrons can strike 4 more U-235 atoms, releasing even more neutrons. The chain reaction will continue until all the U-235 fuel is spent. This is roughly what happens in an atomic bomb. It is called a runaway nuclear reaction.

In this animation, one can see how the fissioning of each U-235 atom (red) releases more neutrons (green) that go on to fission more U-235 atoms, thus producing a chain reaction.

Where Does the Energy Come From?

In the section above we described what happens when an U-235 atom fissions. We gave the following equation as an example:

U-235 + 1 neutron 2 neutrons + 92Kr + 142Ba + ENERGY

You might have been wondering, "Where does the energy come from?". The mass seems to be the same on both sides of the reaction:

235 + 1 = 2 + 92 + 142 = 236 = U-236

reference : http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_fission

                http://reactor.engr.wisc.edu/tour/fission.htm

IAEA Issues Guidelines For Lynas

KUANTAN, Nov 30 (Bernama) - The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has issued guidelines to be adhered to by Lynas Malaysia Sdn Bhd to enable the plant to process rare earth. International Trade and Industry Ministry secretary-general Datuk Dr Rebecca Fatima Sta Maria said the guidelines are to ensure the health and safety of workers and residents in the vicinity before the plant operates.

"I also wish to clarify that Lynas' application to start operation is being studied by our supervising officers in accordance with applicable laws and regulations." Sta Maria said this after visiting the plant site accompanied by Atomic Energy Licensing Board director-general Datuk Dr Raja Abdul Aziz Raja Adnan and Lynas Malaysia managing director Datuk Mashal Ahmad here Wednesday.

She dismissed claims that the plant at Gebeng industrial area would start pre-operation in January next year as mere rumours. Meanwhile, Raja Abdul Aziz said that Lynas has sent documents when applying for pre-operational licence four weeks ago and it is being studied by the appointed panel before a decision is made seven months later. He said it is to ensure that the three rare earth materials processed by the plant do not cause radiation to the public.

" Two local scientists including nuclear specialist had confirmed that chemical

plant project, Lynas in Gebeng, Kuantan is safe. "

reference:  http://www.hmetro.com.my/articles/2pakarsahkanselamat/Article/

                http://www.bernama.com/bernama/v5/newsindex.php?id=630928

DID YOU KNOW

One fuel pellet the size of a pencil's eraser can produces about the same amount of energy as burning 1 ton of coal, 150 gallons of oil or 17,000 cubic feet of natural gas.

Industrial Talk by Adjunt Professor, Dato’ Ir. Dr. Lee Yee Cheong on "Rare Earth Industries: Moving Malaysia's Economy Forward".

Date: 9 March 2012 (Friday)

Time: 3 - 5 pm

Venue: Main Lecture Theatre (DK1), COIT, UNITEN

Academician Dato’ Ir. Dr. Lee Yee Cheong, DPMP, KMN, AO, F.A.Sc. studied in the University of Adelaide under the Colombo Plan, graduating with first class honours degree of B.E.(Electrical) in 1961. He served with LLN (until 1980) and Ewbank Preece (until 2002). He is the Chairman of ISTIC UNESCO, Chairman of IEPRe UNITEN and an Adjunct Professor for the Department of Electrical Power Engineering of UNITEN. He was an Advisor to the Minister of Science, Technology and Innovation Malaysia, a Director of UMW Holdings Bhd and Commissioner of Energy Commission Malaysia .