YOUR VIEWS: 'Nuclear should not be part of freeport vision'
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A reader and campaigner reacts to news that small nuclear reactors could be built in the north.
The Courier carried comments from Global director Steve Chisholm that small modular nuclear reactors could be built in the Cromartry Firth after the award of green freeport status for the area.
Nuclear should not be part of freeport vision
I refer to the article headed “Nuclear Reactor is in the freeport mix “(Inverness Courier, January 20) and was very surprised that this proposal has now emerged.
HANT (Highlands Against Nuclear Transport) has raised concerns since 2013 about many safety concerns related to the transport of nuclear waste by rail from Georgemas Junction (near Dounreay) to Barrow and on to the Sellafield Nuclear plant.
There have been a number of incidents of concern related to both rail and sea transport.
These include a fire on board a ship carrying nuclear waste from Scrabster to Belgium.
It caused engine failure and the necessary evacuation of a nearby oil rig.
Nuclear trains go through Inverness regularly.
HANT and Cromarty Peace Group held a demonstration at Inverness railway station to highlight safety concerns connected with this – and found out that very few people were aware of this activity.
HANT also has wider aims to campaign for all future electricity generation to be through renewables and not nuclear.
Nuclear energy is three times more expensive than renewables, creates unacceptable risks of catastrophic accidents and continues the link between the bi-products of civil nuclear generation and materials required for nuclear weapons.
The SMR (Small Modular Reactors) referred to in the article are a non starter.
They are an unproven technology and there is no evidence to demonstrate that this is a cheaper or quicker way to produce electricity through nuclear means.
SMRs also produce nuclear waste – less in quantity (than larger reactors) but more radioactive.
The operations and innovation director at Global Energy, Steve Chisholm, stated in the article that “the opportunity is there for SMR manufacturing” by 2026 “when the first of the facilities are commissioned and up and running”.
HANT won’t be holding its breath as the only SMR prototype of the size proposed currently operating is on a rotting barge in Pevek in Russia’s Far East – not a good example to follow!
HANT welcomes developments in renewables and green hydrogen power.
But it also suggests that the idea of manufacturing SMRs should be discarded immediately to save taxpayer’s money, preserve safety and safeguard the environment for future generations.
Tor Justad
Chairperson
HANT
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