Session Chairs : Andrew Bull and Yeon-Ki Chung

The audience was small and the “Advances in Safety Reliability and Human Management Session” was combined with the session on “Economic Challenges to the Development of Nuclear Power”. As with the other Y-Notes sessions the questions were based on the prepared questionnaires developed by the organizing committee.

The summaries of those discussions are as follows:

(a) Do the audience believe that with such techniques and research available the safety of new and existing reactors is both improved and made simpler to institute?

Yes, the change from analogue to digital technology has improved the safety, as has the move from active to passive safety systems as demonstrated by the paper on passive core reflooding.

(b) Do you feel that globally a reputation of ‘Safe Nuclear’ is growing?

  Overall the view was that the growth of the term “Safe Nuclear” is being hampered by industry hiding behind technology and saying “Don’t worry we’re experts”. The public has had little confidence in nuclear at the moment but public opinion is slowly being turned back in Germany and Finland. The mass media coverage on accidents in Russia had affected public support but this was gradually becoming more positive although this return of support was very regional. The key element in this increasing support was the developing awareness of the growing energy needs of Eastern Russia pointing towards the necessity of nuclear power.

(c) Do we feel that recent events in, for example, the Middle East would alter any of the opinions drawn from the papers in this session?

It was pointed out that the papers in the session were all very positive regarding economic viability of nuclear energy, especially in the current system of low interest rates. The costs for decommissioning are well known which heightens confidence and the suitability for nuclear plants to supply base load energy puts them at a significant advantage over the variability of wind power. It was further pointed out that Hydro energy is not only dependent on rainfall but is limited in application as there is internationally little room left to build dams