Cape Town - The African Christian Democratic Party (ACDP) has called for detailed inspections of South Africa’s nuclear reactors following the discovery of thousands of additional cracks in critical components of two Belgian nuclear reactors.
“As nuclear reactors age, radiation causes pressure vessel damage, or ‘embrittlement’, of the steel which is exacerbated by the continued migration of hydrogen into cracks in the steel liner of the vessels,” ACDP MP Cheryllyn Dudley said on Thursday. “Scientists indicate that this problem could be far beyond faults in manufacturing. If confirmed, it means that the safety of every nuclear reactor in the world could be significantly compromised including Koeberg (near Cape Town).”
Dudley said the ACDP was alarmed by South Africa’s tendency to view nuclear energy as a long-term solution and these discoveries added to concerns, Dudley added.
“Koeberg is already built on a fault line and if it is being affected in the same way by embrittlement, this increases the risks and undermines any safety actions presently in place,” she said.
“Although Koeberg, only supplies five percent of the nation’s power, its contribution is important – any down time we realise will have a significant impact on all of us especially while we are facing on-going power shortages – the threat however to the safety of Cape Town’s inhabitants and indeed all in the Western Cape is no small matter. The nuclear industry is said to already be in crisis with its ageing nuclear reactor fleet increasing the risk of severe disaster. South Africa’s first commercial nuclear power reactor began operating in 1984 and is part of that fleet. Those responsible must not be allowed to play down or ignore the risks.”
The ACDP called on the Ministers responsible for immediate detailed inspections of Koeberg’s nuclear reactors, as conducted in Belgium, and the public release and scrutiny of results.
ANA