Philibert NIYONSENGA
How have your views on nuclear changed over time?
Nuclear Energy has been around since the 1960s, then saw enormous growth worldwide in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s. This increase was due to the role that nuclear energy plays in energy generation and mitigating climate change, and its safety record in comparison to other sources of energy is of great significance to save our planet.
I encountered the word "Nuclear" when I was in high school at Nyamagabe School of Sciences. My full-time subjects were Mathematics, Chemistry, and Biology. At that time the only story to help us understand the power of nuclear science in Chemistry was the two atomic bombs dropped on Japan in 1945 on Hiroshima and Nagasaki and their effects being felt today.
From that time I was very skeptical about anything related to nuclear. After that, I read a book and I found that nuclear science and technology play a big role in clean energy generation, mitigating climate change, and that Nuclear power plants produce carbon-free electricity with no greenhouse gas emissions during their operation. I could not believe that until I did my proof studies on the principles of nuclear energy generation and its safety to society. This basic information has raised my curiosity and interest to choose Chemistry with education at the University of Rwanda so that I can contribute to the development of sciences and help to enlighten some misconceptions in nuclear sciences, especially nuclear energy. My hunger for knowledge again pushed me to the University of Ghana- School of Nuclear and Allied Sciences, located in Accra, Ghana. There I gained basic skills in nuclear energy generation, its benefits, and how safe it is. Not only that I realized that nuclear and radioactive materials are regulated and controlled to ensure the security and safety of workers, the public, and the environment for the peaceful use of nuclear and radioactive materials. My participation in training on Regulations on Nuclear installations held in Budapest, Hungary, has raised my appreciation of nuclear energy and how safe it is to workers involved in the operation, the public near the nuclear power plant, and even the environment.
Nuclear energy has many benefits over other sources of energy in the fact that Nuclear power itself generates zero carbon emissions, as the steam that drives the turbine engines is created by heating water through safely controlled atomic fission not by burning carbon-rich fossil fuels like coal and gas.
Some people are anti-nuclear with stipulations of nuclear waste, nuclear weapon proliferation, and accidents. But to make it clear, nuclear wastes are properly managed and are not generated on a daily basis, there is the Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons, commonly known as the Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), an international treaty whose objective is to prevent the spread of nuclear weapons and weapons technology, and to promote cooperation in the peaceful uses of nuclear energy. Furthermore, people should not worry about nuclear accidents because nuclear plants operate using a 'defense-in-depth' approach, with multiple safety systems supplementing the natural features of the reactor core. Key aspects of the approach are:
High-quality design and construction.
Equipment that prevents operational disturbances or human failures and errors from developing into problems.
Comprehensive monitoring and regular testing to detect equipment or operator failures.
Redundant and diverse systems to control damage to the fuel and prevent significant radioactive releases.
Provision to confine the effects of severe fuel damage (or any other problem) to the plant itself.
The safety series of physical barriers between the reactor core, environment, and multiple safety systems, each with backup and designed to accommodate human error have been considered to avoid nuclear accidents. Nuclear Energy is the only energy solution to mitigate climate change, and its safety record in comparison to other sources of energy is of great significance to save our planet.
How would you describe your relationship with the natural environment?
I am an Environmentalist striving for environmental conservation.
What would you like other moms to know about nuclear power?
Nuclear power is indispensable to our response to climate change and greenhouse gas emissions. Nuclear power has the potential to overcome energy challenges to improve socioeconomic development without increasing carbon emissions as it generates clean, carbon-free electricity. Nuclear power plants produce no greenhouse gas emissions during operation and over the course of its life cycle.
Let’s join our hands and effort together for Nuclear Energy as the most low-carbon energy source for future generation and environmental conservation.