New Fukushima

Could the horror of Fukushima be prevented in a country of excellence in facing earthquakes? It also has to make us think about alternative approaches to manage energy issues. In the background overview, the need for evolving and further rationalising of the energy sources; at the end, a crucial constraint of development.

Energy generation essentially uses carbon sources as petrol, or atomic, which have deep disadvantages (pollution/radiation danger and residues). Petrol is the most used, more and more expensive, and its control easily becomes a political way of limiting development and a reason to abort alternative energies at the same time.

Let’s remind that industrial revolution started with carbon sources, and just the atomic power as significant aternative was introduced along the way “thanks to a war”. This has not changed for more than 65 years; in our opinion more than enough time to have, at least in advanced preparation, significant alternative energies; but they are not, apparently.

The nuclear fusion (fision is the one used nowadays) which would provide with a safe, cheap and unlimited source of energy, will not be available in the visible horizon. Neither is ready the distributed energy generation (let’s name this concept as open energy) based in new generation technologies, as might be: advanced photovoltaics, artificial photosynthesis or highly efficient electrolysis.

In our opinion Fukushima case required a different preventive and corrective planning considering that tsunamis over 20 meters height are knowned in certain cases, nuclear plants shouldn’t be on the coast, unless necessary elements of critical systems as refrigeration, which cannot be in service within the response time,  had been installed over a minimum distance over the sea level; this is also applicable to the emergency refrigeration system. Other elements as sea water supply tubes, could be deployed from a secure height or maybe replaced within the response time.

The high magnitude of certain tsunami made by meteorites or collapsing mass of land cannot be prevented, but it is necessary to think about the extraordinary up to certain level, when planning prevention of critical issues; statistical approaches are not enough.

Copyright Innova Pulse.