Renewable energy sources and nuclear power in Poland
For quite some time, nuclear energy has been the most controversial energy source in Europe. The Fukushima nuclear plant failure in 2011 only intensified the debate surrounding it. In Poland, the opposition against nuclear power remains strong, as the fear of similar disaster prevails. However, according to Dr. Andrzej Strupczewski, prof. Associate. NCBJ, who was a guest speaker at CASE seminar, the nuclear energy is not only safe, but also cheaper and more environmentally friendly than renewable energy sources (RES), for example wind farms.
Dr. Strupczewski is Vice-President of the Association of Environmentalists for Nuclear Power (SEREN), Chairman of the Nuclear Safety Commission, an advocate for nuclear power at the National Centre for Nuclear Research, and a nuclear safety expert of the European Commission and International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). His presentation on “The Impact of RES and NP on the cost of electricity generation in the Polish power system” was therefore delivered from the perspective of a supporter of nuclear energy. However, the arguments presented by the Professor were technical rather than ideological in nature and were discussed critically during the debate that took place after the presentation.
Relying, inter alia, on studies conducted at the request of the Governments of France and Germany, as well as the Polish Wind Energy Association, Dr. Strupczewski compared the actual current costs of NP and RES and the effects on the environment of both energy production methods. He argued that radiation emitting from nuclear power plants is of a smaller dosage than the differences in natural background radiation and that, even in the event of a severe breakdown of a third-generation nuclear reactor (the kind that would be used in Poland), the population residing outside of its zone of use would not be in any danger. He also stated that wind farms pose a greater threat to the environment due to their disruptive and harmful noise and the endangerment of birds. Moreover, he presented calculations of the likely costs of building a nuclear power plant and wind farms that produce a comparable amount of energy, as well as the amount of investment per unit of peak power and average power produced by each type of energy source. According to his data, both comparisons favor nuclear power. For instance, in Germany the cost of producing one MWh of electricity in onshore wind farm amounts to 32.48 euros, while in the nuclear power plant - 1.67. What is more, RES are not entirely reliable - low wind speed or thick clouds covering the sun can cause power outages. Nuclear power plants can work without incessantly, 365 days a year.
The post-presentation discussion, moderated by Dr. Andrzej Cylwik from CASE, raised the issue of the level of social acceptance of each type of energy. According to prof. Strupczewski, the majority of people living in the proximity of power plants are in favour of nuclear energy. The situation seems to be quite different in Germany, though, where - according to one of the participants of the seminar - most of the population seems to be opposed to the construction of nuclear power plants, whereas renewable energy sources benefit from considerable support. A debate on how to handle nuclear waste and the dangers associated with the construction and operation of nuclear power plants, especially in the context of the nuclear power plant failure in Fukushima, also took place.
We encourage you to watch a post-seminar interview with prof. Strupczewski (in Polish) here.
The webcast of the seminar proceedings (in Polish) can be viewed on wszechnica.org
