Newsletter X 2023 |
5 until 11. March
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Nuclear Power Accidents
This PDF file contains a list of accidents and releases of radioactivity. Some of this information was only made public under the most difficult of circumstances. As new information emerges, this list will be expanded and updated...
Excerpt for this month:
March 1, 2006 (INES 2) NPP Kozloduy, BGR
March 05, 1969 (INES 3) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
March 6, 2006 (INES ? Class.?) Nuclear factory NFS, USA
March 8, 2002 (INES 3) NPP Davis Besse, USA
March 10, 1970 (INES 3 | NAMS 2,6) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
March 11, 1958 (Broken Arrow) Mars Bluff, USA
March 11, 2011 (INES 7 | NAMS 7,5) NPP Fukushima I Daiichi, JPN
March 12, 2011 (INES 3) NPP Fukushima II Daini, JPN
March 13, 1980 (INES 4) NPP Saint-Laurent, FRA
March 19, 1971 (INES 3 | NAMS 2) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
March 22, 1975 (INES ? Class.?) NPP Brown's Ferry, USA
March 25, 1955 (INES 4 | NAMS 4,3) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
March 28, 1979 (INES 5 | NAMS 7,9) NPP Three mile island, USA
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We are looking for current information. If you can help, please send a message to: nukleare-welt@reaktorpleite.de
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11. March
Fukushima anniversary | Anti-nuclear demo | Neckarwestheim
300 people at demonstration against nuclear power in Neckarwestheim
About 300 people took part in an anti-nuclear demonstration in Neckarwestheim on Saturday. They called for a rapid turn to renewable energies.
As a police spokesman said, the event was completely peaceful. With flags, signs and banners, the participants near the nuclear power plant protested against the further use of nuclear power, coal, gas and oil and called for a rapid turnaround to renewable energies ...
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Climate neutral | CO2 storage | Seabed
projects in the North Sea
Opportunities and risks of CO2 storage
According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, storing carbon dioxide in the sea floor is an important element in reducing global warming. Klaus Wallmann, an expert in marine geology, has examined how safe the technology is.
tagesschau.de: Carbon Capture and Storage, or CCS for short, is still banned in Germany. In the meantime, however, politicians are thinking about it again. Why?
Klaus Wallman: There are a whole series of studies in Germany that deal with the question of how we can actually become climate-neutral by 2045. They all come to the conclusion that we will also need CCS. The contribution will not be particularly large - it is about five to ten percent of the emissions that we cannot avoid otherwise. And for that we will probably need CCS.
[...]
tagesschau.de: There is also criticism of the procedure. For example, that CO2 could escape from the sea again. How dangerous is CCS?
Wallman: We have done a lot of research on the leaks. We looked at the two existing storage facilities off Norway with research vessels from all over Europe. We have found that no CO2 escapes there.
But we found in the vicinity of these reservoirs that natural gas escapes from old boreholes in particular. It is conceivable that CO2 would also escape from these old boreholes in the future if CO2 was injected nearby ...
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Fukushima | Nuclear lobby | Compensation
12 years after the nuclear disaster in Fukushima - what have we learned from it?
12 years ago, on March 11, 2011, the Fukushima nuclear disaster began with the Tōhoku earthquake. In four of the six reactor blocks there were extremely serious accident sequences, some with core meltdowns and a massive escape of radioactivity. It was one of those typical serious nuclear accidents, a catastrophe that the operators had not expected in advance.
Luck in disguise was a gracious wind that carried the extreme radioactivity out to sea in the early days and not to the nearby metropolitan area of Tokyo with its 37 million people.
A few months after the meltdowns at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear facilities, the operator Tepco and the Japanese government made an agreement to recover the molten nuclear fuel from the destroyed reactors within a decade, but like so many promises from the Japanese "nuclear village", this did not happen . However, the trivializing post-accident PR, which is now called crisis communication, was successful.
12 years after the Fukushima nuclear disaster, compensation for the actual victims of the disaster is minimal. But a court in Tokyo ordered the payment of 13 trillion yen (94,6 billion euros) in damages for the shareholders of the nuclear company. (A billion is a thousand million). There are few judgments that better reflect the "Western Values" that Japan and the West unfortunately increasingly stand for...
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Electricity price | solar energy | desert
Electricity from these power plants will only cost 1 cent per kilowatt hour
In the desert, new solar parks are being built at record speed, which are constantly undercutting the price of electricity. This could lure energy-rich industries away from Europe. For e-fuels and green hydrogen, on the other hand, it is good news. Economy from above is a cooperation with LiveEO.
In the great deserts of the world, the first large solar power plants are being built, which will sell electricity for just one cent per kilowatt hour. Latest satellite images from LiveEO show how far along their construction is in Saudi Arabia and Abu Dhabi.
And how the next revolution is already looming in the Atacama Desert in Chile – thanks to solar modules that can be installed extremely quickly. The technology should promptly push the solar electricity price below the one cent mark in sunny regions...
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Power generation | Hydrogen | Enzym
Newly discovered enzyme turns air into electricity
A research group succeeds in isolating an enzyme that can produce electricity from air. The result is exciting for several reasons.
Melbourne - An Australian research team has discovered an enzyme that can convert air into energy. The discovery by the team led by Rhys Grinter from Monash University in Melbourne was presented in the journal Nature. The enzyme, called "Huc", uses the small amounts of hydrogen in the air to generate an electric current.
[...]
"Huc" could power small electronic devices by harvesting energy from the air or small amounts of hydrogen. That means the devices would use a "super-clean and sustainable energy source," according to a statement from the University of Melbourne. If you use more hydrogen, the enzyme could produce significantly more energy. Researcher Grinter is certain: "Once we produce 'Huc' in sufficient quantities, there are literally no limits to its use to generate clean energy." ...
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March 11, 2011 (INES 7 | NAMS 7,5) NPP Fukushima I Daiichi, JPN
There were about 1,59 million TBq released radioactivity.
An earthquake and tsunami at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant failed the emergency power generators, causing the reactors to crack and leading to fires and nuclear meltdowns.
Nuclear Power Accidents.pdf
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Wikipedia
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chronologie_der_Katastrophe_in_Japan_von_2011
Due to the damage to the power supply and cooling system, which were caused by the great Tōhoku earthquake of March 11, 2011 and the subsequent tsunami, as well as the lack of cables for mobile power generators, it occurred in three out of six at the Fukushima-Daiichi (Fukushima I) nuclear power plant Reactor blocks to overheating of the reactor core.
There were several explosions:
In unit 1 on March 12th,
in unit 3 on March 14th and
in unit 2 on March 15th,
in which the outer building shells were destroyed and radioactive material was released. In addition, on March 15, a fire broke out in reactor block 4. The reactor cores of Units 1 and 3 were flooded with seawater and boric acid for makeshift cooling and to protect against radioactive radiation. The Japanese government ordered evacuation measures with a radius of 20 km, which have affected around 80.000 people so far.
The events at Units 1 to 3 were provisionally assigned to INES Level 18 by the Japan Nuclear Inspection Agency (NISA) on March 2011, 5.
On April 12.04.2011, the Japanese Nuclear Regulation Authority (NISA) put Fukushima-Daiichi on par with the Chernobyl disaster (INES Level 7) ...
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List of nuclear power accidents by country
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AtomkraftwerkePlag
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Fukushima_Daiichi_(Japan)
From 1970/1973/1974/1978/1977/1979, six boiling water reactors with an output of 460 MW (reactor 1), 784 MW each (reactors 2-5) and 1.100 MW (reactor 6) were operated at Fukushima Daiichi. The plant is owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Co. (TEPCO). Manufacturers were General Electric (unit 1), GE-Toshiba (units 2 and 6), Toshiba (units 3 and 5) and Hitachi (unit 4) ...
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March 11, 1958 (Broken Arrow) Mars Bluff, South Carolina, United States
1958 Mars Bluff B-47 nuclear weapon loss
The 47 Mars Bluff B-1958 nuclear accident was the accidental dropping of a nuclear weapon from a United States Air Force B-47 bomber over Mars Bluff, South Carolina. Although there was no nuclear detonation, six people were injured by the explosion of the bomb's conventional explosives...
description of the incident
On March 11, 1958, a US Air Force Boeing B-47E-LM Stratojet operated by the 375th Bombardment Squadron of the 308th Bombardment Wing near Savannah, Georgia, took off from Hunter Air Force Base at ca :16 am and was scheduled to fly to the UK and then North Africa as part of Operation Snow Flurry. The plane carried nuclear weapons in case of war with the Soviet Union. Air Force Capt. Bruce Kulka, acting as navigator and bombardier, was called to the bomb bay after the plane's captain, Capt. Earl Koehler, spotted a malfunction light in the cockpit indicating that the bomb harness locking pin was not engaging. As Kulka reached around the bomb to pull himself up, he accidentally grabbed the emergency release pin. The Mark 34 nuclear bomb fell on the B-6's bomb bay doors, and the weight pushed the doors open, causing the bomb to fall 47 m (4.600 ft) to the ground.
Two sisters, six-year-old Helen and nine-year-old Frances Gregg, played with their nine-year-old cousin Ella Davies 200 yards (180 m) from a playhouse in the woods that their father, Walter Gregg, who had served as a paratrooper in World War II, used to play for them had built. The playhouse was hit by the bomb. The conventional explosives detonated, destroying the playhouse and leaving a crater about 21 m wide and 11 m deep. Fortunately, the fissile nucleus was stored elsewhere on the plane. All three girls were injured in the blast, as were Walter, his wife Effie, and son Walter Jr. Seven nearby buildings were damaged. The United States Air Force (USAF) was sued by the victims' families and awarded $54.000 (equivalent to $507.176 in 2021 dollars) in damages. The incident made national and international headlines.
Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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10. March
Fukushima warns - come to the anti-nuclear campaign in your city on Saturday!
Anti-nuclear activists have organized activities such as vigils and demonstrations in almost 100 locations for Saturday, March 11th. Everywhere in Germany, on the 12th anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear catastrophe, people will take to the streets against nuclear power - so that the last three nuclear power plants in Germany can finally be shut down, as the Bundestag decided in 2011 as a consequence of Fukushima. In the past two weeks alone, the number of registered campaigns has almost doubled again...
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Fukushima anniversary: The Pacific is no place for contaminated sewage
WHO instead of IAEA should assess global risks for world population
"The discharge of more than a million tons of contaminated water into the Pacific endangers numerous animal and plant species and will also have an impact on us humans. The dumping, i.e. the disposal of the tritium-irradiated water from the nuclear power plant in Fukushima, would thus fall into the global water cycle. That would have unforeseeable consequences for the entire biosystem. Both the local fishermen, the Japanese population and the people in the neighboring countries would be at the mercy of further health restrictions," said Martin Litschauer, anti-nuclear spokesman for the Greens, on the occasion tomorrow's anniversary of the nuclear disaster in Fukushima ...
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Springer picture newspaper | Hoax | Billions
False report from the "Bild" newspaper:
Habeck doesn't cost us a trillion
Do the green vice chancellor's plans to replace old heaters cost 1.000 billion euros, as the tabloid claims? A fact check.
BERLIN taz | The headline has it all. "Institute warns: Habeck's living hammer will cost us 1.000 billion," writes the Bild newspaper on Friday. The accompanying text deals with the planned reform of the Building Energy Act. A draft by the Economics Minister, which was made public at the end of February, provides for graduated bans on oil and gas heating systems from 2024. From 2045, all heating systems are to be operated with renewable energies.
In its text, Bild now asks what conversion costs will be incurred by tenants and owners – and in the answer refers to Manuel Frondel from the Essen Economic Institute RWI. He did the math and came up with “the cost of one trillion euros (1.000 billion)”.
However, when asked by the taz, RWI and Frondel distanced themselves from the number...
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Energy price brake | Electricity price | gas price
Energy supply in Radevormwald
SWR. implements the energy price brakes
The municipal utilities pass on the financial relief from the price brakes to the customers. These should reach customers as quickly as possible.
The fact that energy is now a very expensive commodity has recently become very clear to consumers. In order to minimize the high costs for people, the Bundestag passed the laws on the so-called energy price brakes for electricity, natural gas and heat. This is intended to relieve customers of energy costs quickly and effectively ...
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LNG terminal | Baltic Sea | Pipeline
Rügenerin on the construction of LNG terminals:
"Then who else is coming here?"
LNG terminals are to be built in the sea off the popular Baltic Sea island of Rügen. Stephanie Dobelstein, spokeswoman for the citizens' initiative, warns against this.
BERLIN taz | The plans of the energy company RWE to build a liquefied natural gas terminal off the coast of the Baltic Sea island of Rügen are causing protests. Environmental groups speak of the largest fossil project in Europe and warn of overcapacity and the dangers for tourism and the environment. It is about four stationary floating LNG terminals with regasification units (FSRU) about 4,5 to 6,5 kilometers from the seaside resort of Sellin in the south-east of Rügen. LNG ships should be able to moor here. The gas is to be converted in the FSRU and then pumped through a 38-kilometer pipeline to the Baltic Sea port of Lubmin and from there into the natural gas grid. The pipeline is already in the approval process ...
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France Cracks in nuclear reactors discovered again
The second incident within a week: In France, cracks have been discovered in two nuclear reactors in Penly and Cattenom. According to the authorities, these are “not insignificant”. Major corrosion damage had been discovered days earlier at Penly.
Cracks in two nuclear reactors have been discovered in France. These are "not insignificant," said the Nuclear Safety Authority (ASN).
Apparently there are signs of wear and tear. A reactor at the Penly nuclear power plant in the north of the country and another reactor in Cattenom in eastern France are affected.
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March 10, 1970 (INES 3 | NAMS 2,6) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
Release of about 18 TBq of plutonium through the chimney of building B230.
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This accident, as well as several other releases of radioactivity originating from Sellafield, are no longer in the German Wikipedia a DAK Bungalow.
Wikipedia de
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield
The complex was made famous by a catastrophic fire in 1957 and by frequent nuclear incidents, which is one of the reasons why it was renamed Sellafield. Up until the mid-1980s, large quantities of the nuclear waste generated in day-to-day operations were discharged in liquid form via a pipeline into the Irish Sea.
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Wikipedia en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield#Incidents
Radiological releases
Between 1950 and 2000 there were 21 serious off-site incidents or accidents involving radiological releases that warranted classification on the International Nuclear Event Scale, one at Level 5, five at Level 4 and fifteen at Level 3. In addition, there were in intentional releases of plutonium and irradiated uranium oxide particles into the atmosphere known for extended periods in the 1950s and 1960s...
Translated with https://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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AtomkraftwerkePlag
Sellafield (formerly_Windscale), United Kingdom
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There are comparable nuclear factories all over the world:
Uranium enrichment and reprocessing - facilities and sites
During reprocessing, the inventory of spent fuel elements can be separated from one another in a complex chemical process (PUREX). Separated uranium and plutonium can then be reused. As far as the theory...
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9. March
Poland | Choczewo | not controllable
Nuclear power plant in Poland:
Backhaus demands help from the federal government
Poland wants to build the country's first nuclear power plant - directly on the Pomeranian Baltic Sea coast. But because the site is only 250 kilometers from the German border, Mecklenburg-Western Pomerania wants to prevent the construction of the reactor. Environment Minister Till Backhaus (SPD) is now demanding help from the federal government.
For Till Backhaus (SPD), the matter is clear: the construction of the reactor in Choczewo, about 75 kilometers northwest of Gdansk, does not fit into the time. "We are against the construction of the nuclear power plant because this technology cannot be controlled," he says in an interview with the NDR MV podcast "Dorf Stadt Kreis - Pomerania". There is not a single meeting of German environment ministers that does not deal with safety-related situations in Belgian or French nuclear power plants...
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Isar | TÜV | Security Check
Light projection on nuclear power plants: Greenpeace protests at Isar 2
On April 15, the end of nuclear power should be - that's what the federal government decided. It's about time, says the environmental organization Greenpeace: It has projected expired TÜV stickers onto the three nuclear power plants that are still active. Also on Isar 2.
The environmental organization Greenpeace has protested against nuclear power with light projections at the remaining active nuclear power plants Neckarwestheim 2, Isar 2 and Emsland. The activists projected expired TÜV badges onto the power plants along with the words "Expired" and "Switch off".
Action ahead of Fukushima anniversary
With the campaign, Greenpeace wanted to draw attention to the fact that a safety check would have been due for the three nuclear power plants in 2019. The organization also pointed out that Saturday marks the twelfth anniversary of the Fukushima nuclear disaster...
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Solar cell modules | solar factory | citizen hand
Founders of the association via Bürger-Solarfabrik:
"Exhausting but rewarding"
Gerhard Kreutz founded a Baden-Württemberg initiative for cell and module production in Germany. The factory should be in the hands of the citizens.
taz: Mr. Kreutz, your idea sounds bold: a citizens' solar factory for Germany. Is that really realistic?
Gerhard Kreutz: Clear! If 300 energy cooperatives in Germany each raise two million euros - that corresponds to the equity of a single, citizen-financed wind turbine - then we have 600 million together. The factory costs a billion. We also hope for funding, but it would also be possible without it. Because of our cooperative approach, we want to use bank loans as sparingly as possible.
What does "solar factory" mean exactly? Do you only want to manufacture the modules or also the pre-products?
The billion is enough for the production of the cells and then the modules. The preliminary stages, i.e. the ingot and the wafer, are manufactured elsewhere, at least initially...
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DB Schenker uses the first 40-ton truck with a hydrogen drive
Frankfurt - The logistics service provider DB Schenker is using the first hydrogen semi-trailer tractor approved for regular operation in Germany. A fuel cell truck from the manufacturer Hyzon is used by the Cologne office in daily traffic between Cologne and Eupen (Belgium). DB Schenker is the first logistics service provider in Germany to operate a fuel cell vehicle in the 40-ton class, the company said.
The Hyzon tractor with fuel cell technology has the best prerequisites for reliable operation on the selected route. The range is around 400 kilometers, and at the same time the maximum payload is higher than with purely electric trucks, according to DB Schenker. Another big advantage of hydrogen technology in everyday use is the quick refueling process of around 15 minutes...
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Global 2000 protest against Mochovce NPP
Global 2000 protested against the Mochovce nuclear power plant with a nightly video projector. The environmental organization criticizes the start-up of the nuclear power plant's third reactor block, which is classified as "risky and unreliable".
At the Global 2000 protest, the Mochovce NPP Reactor 3 cooling tower was irradiated with a large radioactivity sign and the words "Riskable & Unreliable". Photos of the action show the lettering in Slovak, German and English as well as two Global 2000 activists with gas masks in front of the illuminated reactor ...
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Wind energy | distance rule | Repowering
North Rhine-Westphalia removes 1000 m distance rule for wind power repowering
After the state parliament decision, the 1.000-meter distance must also be quickly removed for all new wind energy projects, the NRW state association for renewable energies is demanding.
The State Association for Renewable Energies in North Rhine-Westphalia (LEE NRW) welcomes the fact that the black-green government factions have abolished the superfluous 1.000 meter distance regulation for repowering projects in the wind industry in the "Act on the Implementation of the Building Code".
"It is only logical that a mistake of the past should finally be corrected," comments Christian Mildenberger, Managing Director of the State Association for Renewable Energies NRW (LEE NRW), on the state parliament's decision. However, the coalition will only be able to meet its self-imposed goal of erecting at least 1.000 new wind turbines in this legislative period if the distance rule for new construction projects is also lifted as quickly as possible...
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8. March
France | corrosion crack | Penly
Pipeline in emergency cooling system
Largest crack ever discovered at nuclear power plant in France
A crack in a French nuclear power plant is causing concern among operators, regulators and experts. A pipe in the emergency cooling system at the Penly nuclear power plant on the English Channel has been severely damaged. A level two incident is declared.
The largest corrosion damage discovered to date in a French nuclear reactor is likely to prompt thorough inspections of other nuclear power plants. The French nuclear safety authority asked the power plant operator EDF to "detect possible further cases" and "adjust its control strategy".
The regulator had announced the previous evening that EDF had discovered an unusually long and deep crack in a line pipe at the Penly nuclear power plant on the English Channel, which was commissioned in 1992. According to the report, the crack is 15,5 centimeters long, which is a quarter of the diameter of the pipe. It is also 23 millimeters deep, with a pipe thickness of 27 millimeters, he said. "This is not a hairline crack (...), this is a problem," said authority chief Bernard Doroszczuk at a hearing in the Senate ...
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Denmark | CO2 storage | North Sea | Wintershall Dea
Project Greensand
Denmark starts CO2 storage in the sea
Up to 2030 million tons of carbon dioxide are to be stored in the Danish North Sea by 13 - for the sake of the climate. Crown Prince Frederik gave the starting signal today. Critics warn the technology is unsafe.
The Danish Crown Prince Frederik made a special trip to the west coast and gave the symbolic command to start: carbon dioxide is to be stored immediately on the seabed of the North Sea - in a former oil field about 200 kilometers from the coast.
[...]
From 2030 - according to the plan - up to 13 million tons of carbon dioxide are to be stored in the Danish North Sea every year. Karsten Smid from Greenpeace Germany warns against too much euphoria - the technology is too unsafe, he says. "It's that 'out of sight, out of mind'." We deposit the CO2 waste and thus create repositories that should also be sealed for hundreds and thousands of years. We are thus passing on eternal burdens to future generations without knowing whether it is really tight."
The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change recommends storing CO2 as one of many necessary measures in the fight against climate change.
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Nuclear phase-out | SMR | Reactor decrepit
Nuclear Power: Goodbye
Energy and climate – compact: The lights will soon go out in the last German nuclear power plants. But some dream of a renaissance of nuclear fission as an energy source. Why this has no substance.
Soon it's time. On April 15, the last three German nuclear reactors will finally be taken off the grid after their service life had recently been extended by another three and a half months.
This should ensure security of supply, according to the official justification with which Olaf Scholz pushed through the decision in the coalition in the autumn.
[...]
For several decades, the nuclear industry has not been able to offer reactor lines that are truly capable of competing. Despite the hype surrounding them at times, there are hardly any buyers for the mini power plants.
The idea of building low-power nuclear power plants proved to be too expensive as early as the 1950s. In the larger plants, the electricity was much cheaper to produce.
So in all probability it will remain the case that in the coming decades some 100 nuclear power plants will be shut down for reasons of age without being replaced by new reactors. It really only remains to hope that it happens in time and that one or the other Methuselah reactor does not have to blow up.
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March 08, 2002 (INES 3) NPP Davis Besse, OH, USA
Severe corrosion of reactor head control rod drives forces 24-month shutdown of Davis-Besse reactor.
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Wikipedia
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kernkraftwerk_Davis_Besse#Störfälle
In March 2002, a long-delayed inspection revealed that boric acid had leaked from the reactor near a control rod duct on the reactor pressure vessel cover. The boric acid is used to control the reactor and is added to the coolant. However, the acid reacts very aggressively to heavy metals. As a result, there was severe corrosion on the reactor lid, so that only a few millimeters thin layer of the inner lid lining remained. Experts at Oak Ridge National Laboratory then calculated that in the worst case, it would have taken another five months for a large leak to form in the reactor head...
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Nuclear power accidents by country#United_States
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AtomkraftwerkePlag
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Davis-Besse_(USA)
Corrosion on the reactor pressure vessel (serious accident)
A serious level 1 incident occurred at Davis-Besse-2002 in 3, which exemplifies the interplay of material weaknesses, poor safety culture and carelessly implemented controls. A serious nuclear accident only happened because of a coincidence ...
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7. March
Fraunhofer | Ammonia | Hydrogen
The Fraunhofer IMM is making ammonia fit for the energy transition
Before ammonia can be used for energy supply, it has to be broken down into hydrogen and nitrogen. The Fraunhofer IMM is working on solutions for industry, road and ship traffic.
Ammonia is considered one of the hopes in the transition from fossil fuels to climate-friendly energy sources. The chemical compound of hydrogen and nitrogen is easy to transport and easy to store. However, ammonia is not suitable for direct combustion as it is practically incombustible in air. It must be split beforehand.
[...]
The Fraunhofer IMM is developing a cracking reactor precisely for this purpose, in which pure hydrogen is produced from ammonia by cracking it and then purifying it. The hydrogen can then be fed into PEM fuel cells.
“Thanks to the integrated PSA exhaust gas combustion, we achieve an efficiency of 90 percent in the reconversion process compared to 70 percent with conventional technologies. In addition, our AMMONPAKTOR reactor is built much more compactly than conventional reactors, allowing it to achieve a size reduction of 90 percent...
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species protection | marine protected areas | climate and biodiversity
Double boom for species protection
In just three months, the states have agreed on two important global species protection agreements. This gives hope for a future of multilateralism - and that global subsystems such as climate and biodiversity will finally be considered together.
The High Seas Agreement adopted in New York last weekend makes it possible for the first time to designate high seas protected areas, i.e. areas outside the 200‑mile zone (370 kilometers). Previously, protected areas were not possible there because there was no legal basis.
It is the second important agreement for species protection in three months. The new global species protection goals for 2030 were adopted in December.
One of these goals, the designation of protected areas on 30 percent of the sea surface, is now made possible by the new agreement ...
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Japan | Fukushima | TEPCO | Salvage fuel elements
Hardly any progress in salvaging the fuel elements from the damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima
12 years since the nuclear disaster in Fukushima, the operator TEPCO has made little progress in salvaging the fuel elements. It is estimated that around 880 tons of fuel elements are still in reactors 1, 2 and 3 of the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.
Originally, the operating company wanted to start disposing of the fuel elements in reactor no. 2022 by the end of 2, where the radiation is comparatively low. However, the work must be carried out remotely.
Start of fuel salvage postponed
However, in August 2022, TEPCO announced that the start of salvage would be delayed due to delays in the development of a robotic arm. The second half of the 2023 financial year was named as the new start date...
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Solar cells | organic | agrivoltaics
Semi-transparent solar cells for the greenhouse
Antioxidant layer makes translucent organic solar cells more durable
Translucent electricity suppliers: Organic solar cells can also be made semi-transparent and could, for example, be installed in windows or glass roofs instead of glass. So far, however, these thin-film modules have not been particularly stable - photochemical reactions cause them to degrade quickly. This can now be remedied by a protective separating layer that prevents these reactions. When using the semi-transparent solar cells as a greenhouse roof, crops grew even better than under a normal glass roof.
Most common solar modules have so far consisted of silicon-based solar cells. These are stable and relatively efficient, but rigid, largely opaque, and thick. This is different with organic solar cells. For these flexible polymer-based modules, semiconductor compounds are printed as a thin layer on a plastic carrier film. The resulting cells are lightweight, pliable and can even be applied to textiles...
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Federation for Environment and Nature Conservation Germany | Nuclear Weapons Prohibition Treaty | ICAN
BUND new member of ICAN – environmental association calls on German federal government to join the nuclear weapons ban treaty
The German Federation for the Environment and Nature Conservation (BUND) is a new member of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN).
“Since the start of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, the nuclear threat has once again become a major public concern. Nuclear plants as war targets, the danger of a nuclear meltdown and a possible escalation to a nuclear war scare people, not only in Europe,” explains Olaf Bandt, BUND Chairman.
And people are still suffering today from the aftermath of the nuclear weapons attacks in Japan in 1945 and the surface tests of the great powers in the 50s and 60s. Bandt: “This existential threat to people and the environment must be a thing of the past. The abolition of all nuclear dangers was and is a major concern for us at BUND. Therefore, our ICAN membership is only logical and it is good to be part of this important international campaign." The highest body of BUND, the Federal Delegates' Assembly, unanimously decided to join ICAN in November 2022...
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New nuclear power plants | Power Supply | plutonium nuclear waste
New nuclear power projects technically risky and unprofitable
DIW Wochenbericht highlights perspectives for nuclear energy in Germany and worldwide
– Current and planned projects lack technical and economic foundations
– Rethinking the modeling of future energy mix
– Greater focus on renewable energies, nuclear technology is declining
– In-depth research into atomic energy does not make sense
– The search for a repository should be accelerated
The last three German nuclear power plants "Emsland", "Isar-2" and "Neckarwestheim-2" will go offline on April 15th. In view of the energy and climate crisis, voices are increasingly being raised, not only in Germany, to advance nuclear research. However, none of the new nuclear power projects currently under discussion are economically or technically sustainable or sensible...
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France | offshore wind farm | floating pinwheels
Pilot project in the Mediterranean
Nuclear country France builds first floating wind farms
In addition to nuclear power, France is focusing on the expansion of renewable energies. By 2050, the German neighboring country wants to build 50 offshore wind farms at sea - up to 31 percent of national electricity consumption could be covered with this. The first three floating plants are now being built.
Work has begun on France's first floating offshore wind farm near Perpignan on France's Mediterranean coast. The connector for the cable that will connect the wind turbine, which will soon be floating 18 kilometers offshore, to the power grid on land has been lowered into the water, according to the power grid operator RTE.
The system with three wind turbines is the first of three pilot wind farms in the Mediterranean. Two large, floating wind farms are then planned, each with an output of 250 megawatts, which can be increased to 500 megawatts ...
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6. March
Spain | Palomares | radioactive plutonium
Cold War hydrogen bombs
Spain demands clean-up work from the USA after the plutonium accident
A bomber collision in the air over Spain's southeast coast released plutonium from U.S. hydrogen bombs. Spain now wants the U.S. to dispose of its radioactive waste.
Almost 60 years ago, four US hydrogen bombs were dropped near a southern Spanish village in an airborne accident. Spain has now asked the US to start removing the radioactively contaminated soil.
When a US B-17-1966 bomber and a tanker aircraft collided on January 52, the bombs fell. Seven of the eleven crew members died, there were no fatalities on the ground.
[...]
Spain and the US signed a memorandum of understanding in 2015 to negotiate a binding agreement to clean up and restore the site of the accident, and arrange for the contaminated soil to be disposed of at an appropriate location in the US. However, a binding agreement has not yet been concluded ...
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Ammunition | heavy metals | TNT
Ukraine: How weapons of war poison the soil
Ammunition of war contains lead, mercury and TNT. Even if the war in Ukraine were to end today, these toxic heavy metals and explosives would remain - with uncertain consequences for people, animals and nature.
Hopefully the war in Ukraine will be over at some point. Then the deadly explosions from rocket and bomb strikes will come to an end - but the weapons of war have not yet exhausted their destructive potential.
Because the grenades, mines and other explosive projectiles destroy buildings and release asbestos. They hit refineries - oil and chemicals seep into the ground and into waterways. But not only that: the ammunition itself is full of toxic chemicals. And they came to stay.
According to the Reuters news agency, at least 10,5 million hectares of agricultural land in Ukraine are said to be contaminated with chemicals. Once they are in water or in the ground, sooner or later they will reach humans via plants, animals or drinking water...
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North Africa | renewable energy | Colonialism
“Europe is taking our renewable resources away from us”
The EU wants to import green gas from North Africa. This is met with criticism locally
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Hydrogen power plant manufacturers promise to make the economy greener by converting renewable energies like solar and wind power into storable materials like ammonia or liquid hydrogen. These are then transported to Europe by ship or pipeline or used for local markets. “These projects have an impact on local communities and their culture. The intrusion into agricultural and rural areas is depriving many people of their livelihoods - especially women, many of whom work the land," explains the expert. Whether these projects are destined for export to the EU or not, whether they are renewable or fossil fuels, “ultimately nothing changes for the people who only see barriers and oppression and who are having their land taken away,” she says .
For this reason, many experts, activists and associations denounce the "green colonialism" that the EU would pursue through bilateral agreements with authoritarian developing countries such as Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia and Egypt ...
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Iran | nuclear deal | IAEA
Nuclear deal a long way off
An Iranian nuclear bomb would pose a threat to important shipping routes
For the first time in over a year, Rafael Grossi, Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), visited the Iranian capital, Tehran, and received a promise that surprised many: the surveillance cameras in Iran's nuclear facilities are to be reconnected; they had been disconnected at the height of the struggle for the nuclear treaty. In addition, 50 percent more inspections are to be carried out by the IAEA than before.
But the governments of the USA, France, Great Britain and Germany are cautious ...
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offshore | Birds against windmills
Do wind turbines kill birds? Unique study provides clarity
Are wind turbines dangerous for birds? A unique study of offshore wind farms shows clear results. They are likely to disappoint critics.
[...]
The study used cameras and radar to capture the flight patterns of thousands of birds near wind turbines at Aberdeen Offshore Wind Farm in Scotland, also known as the European Offshore Wind Deployment Center (EOWDC), over two years.
The most significant result of the study is that during the entire monitoring period, not a single bird collided with a rotor blade ...
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Isar | Runterfahren | decentralized power supply
Nuclear power plant Isar II blocked - activists call for final nuclear phase-out
On Saturday afternoon, around 50 supporters of the "Shut Down" initiative blocked the Isar II nuclear power plant near Landshut. A press release from the activists said:
After the reactor catastrophe in Fukushima and under pressure from the anti-nuclear movement, the federal government decided in 2011 that all German nuclear power plants should be taken off the grid by December 31.12.2022, 15.4.2023. Due to an assumed gas shortage, the Bundestag decided at the end of last year to extend operation until April 15, XNUMX for the remaining three nuclear power plants in Germany. Nuclear supporters took this opening of the debate as an opportunity to once again bring demands for long-term lifetime extensions into the political discourse. So e.g. For example, a corresponding motion by the CDU was discussed in the Bundestag in February. The Bavarian Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) is also a strong advocate of extending the term beyond April XNUMXth. Clara Tempel, spokeswoman for "Runterfahren", says: "Today we are blocking the nuclear power plant on Söder's doorstep to make it clear that extending the service life is not an option. Nuclear power plants are too dangerous, they are not suitable to replace gas power plants and they represent an outdated, centralized energy supply.« ...
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March 06, 2006 (INES class.?!!) NFS, Erwin, TN, USA
At a Nuclear Fuel Services facility in Erwin, 35 liters of highly enriched uranium spilled, necessitating a seven-month shutdown.
Nuclear Power Accidents.pdf
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Wikipedia de
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Fuel_Services
Nuclear Fuel Services (NFS)
is an American nuclear company. Along with BWX Technologies, the company is the main supplier of nuclear fuel for the US Navy. In addition, the company deals with the conversion of plutonium and uranium from nuclear weapons into fuel rods for nuclear power plants. Browns Ferry nuclear power station is one of the main customers. In addition, one deals with the decontamination of old nuclear power plants. Headquarters Erwin is a small town in Tennessee, Unicoi County.
On August 20, 2007, it was announced that a criticality accident had almost occurred in Erwin...
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Wikipedia en
Nuclear power accidents by country#United_States
March 6, 2006 Erwin, Tennessee, USA. The NFS facility leaks 35 liters of highly enriched uranium, necessitating a seven-month shutdown. Cost $98 million.
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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nuclear_Fuel_Services#NRC_events
On May 11, 2008, the Nuclear Regulatory Commission released information on emergency reports related to two incidents that occurred in 2006 at the Erwin facility. The first incident was a liquid spill of highly enriched uranium that could have resulted in a criticality incident.
The second incident involved an uncontrolled "point of accumulation" where a critical mass of uranium could have accumulated and was discovered in the course of responding to the first incident. In other words, no protection systems were in place to prevent solution leakage from occurring at the bottom of an elevator shaft in the facility. The result of material accumulation in a confined space could be a criticality incident.
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5. March
heat summer | record temperatures
“Intense summer heat”? Experts expect a weather record in 2023
Weather experts dare to take a look at the weather for the summer of 2023. The first trend forecasts not only point to record temperatures.
Frankfurt – The weather does what it wants and gives us a February that is too mild and frosty temperatures at the beginning of spring. In addition, there is a lot of sunshine at the beginning of March, so you can start thinking about summer. Experts are already daring to make an initial forecast. Will the mild winter be followed by a hot summer?
[...]
The 100-year calendar also predicts heat for the summer of 2023. The popular permanent weather report from the 17th century predicts a Martian year for 2023 - and "the Martian year has the hottest summers ever," says the 100-year calendar.
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CO2 emissions | renewable energy
CO₂ emissions at a new high
In 2022, more climate-damaging gases were emitted in the energy sector than ever before, even if the expansion of renewable technologies prevented an even greater increase in global emissions. More coal was burned than ever before.
Last year, energy-related emissions of climate-damaging greenhouse gases reached a new high. According to the International Energy Agency IEA, more than 2022 billion tons of CO36,8 were released worldwide in 2. That is 321 million tons more than in the previous year, an increase of almost one percent.
Emissions rose above all in electricity and heat generation. In this sector, CO2 emissions increased by 1,8 percent and reached 14,6 billion tons. The reason for the growth in emissions in the electricity and heating sectors was the switch from gas to coal.
The IEA experts had actually expected even more emissions. "The impact of the energy crisis has not resulted in the sharp rise in global emissions that was initially feared - thanks to outstanding growth in renewable energy, electric vehicles, heat pumps and energy-efficient technologies," said IEA chief Fatih Birol. Without clean energy, CO2 emissions would have increased almost three times as much...
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Poland | Press freedom | Untersuchungshaft
Poland seeks indefinite detention of 'Russian spy' without evidence
Journalist Pablo González has been jailed for a year without Poland providing any charges or evidence of the absurd allegation of spying for Russia
For a year now, Basque journalist Pablo González has been in solitary confinement in Poland's Radom prison. The Polish judiciary accuses him of alleged espionage for Russia.
As was widely feared, the competent court extended the pre-trial detention for a further three months after a year. He will therefore remain in Polish custody until at least May 24, 2023. At the moment there is nothing to suggest that he will then be released. On the contrary, everything indicates that Poland wants to imprison the journalist for a long time ...
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March 05, 1969 (INES 3) Nuclear factory Sellafield, GBR
Release of 370 MBq of plutonium in the laboratory of building B229.
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This accident, as well as several other releases of radioactivity originating from Sellafield, are no longer in the German Wikipedia a DAK Bungalow.
Wikipedia de
https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield
The complex was made famous by a catastrophic fire in 1957 and by frequent nuclear incidents, which is one of the reasons why it was renamed Sellafield. Until the mid-1980s, large quantities of the nuclear waste generated in daily operations were discharged in liquid form via a pipeline into the Irish Sea ...
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Wikipedia en
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sellafield#Incidents
Radiological releases
Between 1950 and 2000 there were 21 serious off-site incidents or accidents involving radiological releases that warranted classification on the International Nuclear Event Scale, one at Level 5, five at Level 4 and fifteen at Level 3. In addition, there were in intentional releases of plutonium and irradiated uranium oxide particles into the atmosphere known for extended periods in the 1950s and 1960s...
Translated with https://www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)
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AtomkraftwerkePlag
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Sellafield_(ehemals_Windscale),_Großbritannien_1957
Sellafield (formerly_Windscale), United Kingdom
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There are comparable nuclear factories all over the world:
https://atomkraftwerkeplag.fandom.com/de/wiki/Wiederaufarbeitung#Standorte_für_Wiederaufarbeitung
Uranium enrichment and reprocessing - facilities and sites
During reprocessing, the inventory of spent fuel elements can be separated from one another in a complex chemical process (PUREX). Separated uranium and plutonium can then be reused. As far as the theory...
| Current news+ | Background knowledge |
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Current news+
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Chemical industry | PFAS | Poison of eternity | polyfluorinated alkyl compounds
Dangerous toxins: Which products contain PFAS
PFAS are found in jackets, pans and pizza boxes. The industrial chemicals are almost everywhere. We eat and breathe them. How dangerous are the substances for us?
PCB, CFC, HKW and now also PFAS: Germany has to remember a new pollutant abbreviation. PFAS stands for per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds. More important, however, is what the syllable monster means to humans. A potential health hazard.
PFAS: Which products contain the toxins and how dangerous they are
We explain which products contain the substances and what the substances can do to the body.
PFAS (pronounced pifas) include more than 10.000 substances. They do not occur naturally and are extremely durable as they are hardly degradable. Therefore, they are also referred to as "forever chemicals".
The substances can be found everywhere – in the air, in drinking water and in farmland around the world. They can also be found at more than 1.500 locations, including 300 hotspots, in North Rhine-Westphalia and throughout Germany, as current research by NDR, WDR and Süddeutsche Zeitung shows. The problem with the industrially produced chemicals is therefore much greater than previously known.
PFAS: Chemical in pizza boxes, pans, cosmetics - and in the air
Everyone has contact with PFAS. They have been widely used by industry for decades and are therefore found in hundreds of everyday products. A selection in which the pollutants can hide everywhere:
- In household goods such as cookware, parchment paper and non-stick pans
- In fast-food packaging such as burger paper, pizza boxes or fat-resistant French fries bags
- In textiles such as anoraks and waterproof outdoor clothing
- In fireproof clothing
- In car seats
- In cosmetics such as mascara and lipsticks
- In dental floss
Consumers cannot safely avoid products that contain PFAS or have been treated with them, because there is no labeling requirement, as the consumer advice centers complain.
Because PFAS can be absorbed from nature, plants are also contaminated with the chemicals - and not least our food. "With the absorption of PFAS from contaminated soil and water in plants and the accumulation in fish, these substances are also absorbed into the human food chain," says a statement from the Federal Environment Agency. Humans can also ingest PFAS through the air and drinking water.
PFAS: Human health hazard - Ban demanded
In an investigation by the Federal Environment Agency in 2022, the chemicals were found in excessive amounts in the blood of children and adolescents. In up to a quarter of those examined, the concentration in the body was so high that "health effects can no longer be ruled out with sufficient certainty," the report said. "Of the relatively few well-studied PFAS, most are considered to be moderately to highly toxic, particularly to child development," writes the European Environment Agency (EEA).
What are the health effects of PFAS? According to the current state of research, they can lead to liver damage, thyroid disorders, obesity, fertility disorders and cancer. They are also said to reduce the immune response to vaccinations. Together with four other EU countries, Germany is therefore campaigning for a ban on around 10.000 substances. Some PFAS are already largely banned because they are considered dangerous.
If you drink tea frequently, you should change the variety regularly. Because: Some teas contain a high PA value, which can be harmful to humans in the long run. The ketchup from market leader Heinz also contains substances that food should not contain. The product fails the eco-test.
| Current news+ | Background knowledge |
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Background knowledge
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Map of the nuclear world:
For many years, PFAS (per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds) have been coming fresh from the chemical plants to the table...
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The internal search for
brought the following results, among others:
February 23, 2023 - How Bayer, BASF & Co lobby for PFAS
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February 23, 2023 - Where PFAS are polluting Germany everywhere
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November 23, 2022 - California is suing PFAS manufacturers 3M and DuPont
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February 11, 2021 - "The manufacturers have breached their obligations"
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YouTube
Keyword search: PFAS poison of the century
https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=PFAS Jahrhundertgift
Videos:
Stuttgart newspaper February 23, 2023 - 2:00 am
What is PFAS and which products contain PFAS?
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tagesschau | February 23, 2023 - 8:57 am
Poison of the century: PFAS detected at more than 1500 locations in Germany
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hr television | 23. June 2021 - 44: 25
How dangerous are PFCs? - Creeping Poison
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BR24 | September 15, 2019 - 3:15 am
Poison in groundwater: PFOS chemicals discovered in Isar
Playlist - radioactivity worldwide ...
This playlist contains over 150 videos on the topic
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Ecosia
This search engine is planting trees!
Keyword search: PFAS poison of the century
https://www.ecosia.org/search?q=PFAS Jahrhundertgift
ARD media library | September 29, 2022 - 28:00
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Wikipedia
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds
Per- and polyfluorinated alkyl compounds (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances, abbreviated PFAS) are aliphatic organic compounds in which the hydrogen atoms on the carbon skeleton have been completely replaced by fluorine atoms on at least one carbon atom. Since they or their degradation products are very persistent in the environment, they are also called forever chemicals.
Some PFAS are suspected of being carcinogenic. The total annual health-related costs associated with exposure to PFAS were estimated to be at least €2019-52 billion for European Economic Area (EEA) countries in 84 and US$2018-6 billion for the United States in 62. The total annual cost of environmental screening, contamination monitoring, water treatment, soil remediation and health assessment is between €821 million and €170 billion in the EEA plus Switzerland...
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