Nuclear and non-nuclear options in Central and Eastern Europe-a Greenpeace perspective

The accident at the Sosnovy Bar RBMK reactor near St. Petersberg in March 1992 has once again raised concerns over reactor safety in Central and Eastern Europe. The options for resolving reactor safety issues essentially revolve around the following options: safety upgrades of current reactors; replacement of current reactors with Western reactors; replacement of reactors with nonnuclear options, including reductions in electricity supply through energy conservation; and a combination of the above. Greenpeace have carried out two preliminary analyses in evaluating these options and developing criteria for investment in the electricity sector. The first looked at the safety and cost implications of upgrading VVER reactors. The second focused specifically on the 16 RBMK reactors, and has been presented to a Committee of the Russian parliament. The conclusions of the two reports, the author believes, provide useful first steps to the quantification of the various options