The proximity of nuclear power plants to the sea is not for the convenience of pollutant discharge

Recently, despite widespread opposition from various sectors, the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Japan has initiated the discharge of contaminated water into the sea, attracting global attention. The international community is generally concerned that nuclear radioactive elements and substances entering the ocean will pose a threat to the ecological environment. This further raises another concern: nuclear power plants often choose to be built by the seaside for the convenience of pollution discharge. Is it true that this is the case?

The CCTV reporter took an aerial photo of the area near the discharge port of Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant.

To answer this question, we need to start with the site selection standards for nuclear power plants. Choosing a suitable location to build a nuclear power plant is the first step in nuclear power engineering and the starting point of nuclear power safety management. If the site selection is not careful, it may lead to the risk of major accidents. For example, some regions in China are located in the fault zone between the Eurasian and Indian plates, while others are at the collision point between the Eurasian and Pacific plates. When selecting nuclear power plant sites, earthquakes, tsunamis, and other factors should be considered as key factors. Because in the event of an unexpected earthquake or tsunami, even the most powerful safety equipment cannot function under the existing nuclear power technology conditions. The Fukushima nuclear accident in Japan is a typical example, where a nuclear leak is not caused by a malfunction of the nuclear power plant itself, but by safety issues caused by secondary disasters such as earthquakes and tsunamis.

In order to ensure the safety of nuclear power operation, the site selection of nuclear power plants is very strict, and it is necessary to comprehensively consider factors such as regional energy demand, safety and reliability, environmental compatibility, and economic rationality, including seismic geology, meteorology, hydrology, hazards, transportation, population, and the impact of the proposed nuclear power plant on the ecosystem. Specifically, it is necessary to meet basic conditions such as stable seismic geological structure, suitable meteorological environment, suitable hydrological conditions, safe distance from hazardous sources, and distance from population centers. These requirements have been established in the form of regulations, and only plant sites that meet the requirements may be approved by the national nuclear safety regulatory authorities. It can be seen that safety is the core element to consider when selecting a nuclear power plant site.

Why do people generally feel that nuclear power plants are built by the seaside? Because most of the nuclear power plants in our country and neighboring Japan are built in coastal areas, people are left with this impression. In fact, not all nuclear power plants are built near the sea. From a global perspective, countries such as the United States, France, and Russia have a relatively high proportion of inland nuclear power plants. In fact, countries will choose the construction site of nuclear power plants based on their own national conditions and comprehensive considerations. Due to multiple factors such as geological structure stability, air evacuation conditions, non domestic water sources, and electricity demand, China has concentrated its current nuclear power construction in coastal areas. Although China has not yet built inland nuclear power, there are also considerations for inland nuclear power in China's nuclear power site selection planning. Japan, on the other hand, chose to build near the sea due to limitations in terrain, topography, and distribution of resources and population.

It should be pointed out that whether building nuclear power plants along the coast or inland, sufficient water sources are important factors that must be considered. Nuclear power plants generate enormous heat during operation, and the treatment method is cooling. Nuclear power plants should choose nearby oceans, lakes, rivers, or large water bodies as cooling water sources to absorb this heat. Strictly speaking, nuclear power plants are not built by the sea, but by water.

It is undeniable that nuclear power plants do generate nuclear waste during operation. These nuclear wastes can be divided into three types: gas, liquid, and solid. The nuclear power plant has established comprehensive gas, liquid, and solid waste treatment facilities. The principle of treating gas and liquid waste is to recycle as much as possible, minimize emissions, and reduce radioactivity below the specified allowable values. After treatment and under conditions that comply with national regulations, the gas is discharged from the chimney into the air, and the liquid is mixed and diluted with circulating cooling water before being discharged. For liquid waste with high levels of radioactivity, it is converted into solid and not discharged into the environment. It is treated separately based on its radioactive level.

After strict treatment, the impact of nuclear waste on the environment is minimal. The nuclear safety supervision and management department of the State Council supervises the impact of nuclear power plant operation on the environment through supervisory monitoring of the effluent and surrounding environment of China's nuclear power plants. The historical monitoring results indicate that the radiation environment monitoring data is normal, and the annual radioactive emissions in the effluent of nuclear power plants are far below the national limit, which will not have adverse effects on public health.

China's energy consumption ranks first in the world, and per capita energy resources are scarce. Vigorously developing nuclear power is an inevitable choice to alleviate the tense energy supply situation, improve independent supply capacity, and address climate change. Under the "dual carbon" goal, low-carbon and stable nuclear power will become an important option for building a new energy system. In the future, we must follow the mainstream trend of international nuclear power technology development, learn from the experience and lessons of several major nuclear power accidents, and actively and orderly develop nuclear power while ensuring safety.

In the process of nuclear power construction, a nuclear power station site that can simultaneously meet environmental and geopolitical safety factors will be a long-term scarce resource. On the basis of comparing, optimizing, and comprehensively evaluating existing and alternative sites, it is necessary to comprehensively consider national economic development, energy demand, and environmental protection requirements, and achieve a reasonable layout for the development of nuclear power. In addition, the construction period of nuclear power is relatively long, and it is necessary to study and establish a site protection system for nuclear power and related supporting facilities, clarify the entry and exit mechanisms for protecting the site, handle the relationship between nuclear power construction and the economic development plan of the area where the station is located, and provide guarantees for the long-term development of nuclear power and related supporting facilities.