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WWF warns SA media against Russia's nuclear PR machine

Cape Town – South African journalists accepting tours of nuclear power facilities in Russia should be careful not to publish advertorials, according to the World Wide Fund.

Russia’s state atomic energy corporation Rosatom has sponsored various media tours in 2015 of its nuclear power stations, manufacturing factories and university programmes in Russia.

This comes as South Africa signed intergovernmental agreements with several countries ahead of its planned 9 600 MW nuclear energy programme for 2023 to 2030, but Rosatom has been identified as the front runner in the bid.

Fin24’s report on its tour in September revealed how Rosatom blamed poor public relations for the confusion surrounding the company’s bid to build nuclear power plants in South Africa.

Fin24 sister publication City Press’s report on its October tour revealed the high level of safety at Rosatom’s nuclear power plants.

Saliem Fakir, head of policy and futures unit at the World Wide Fund for Nature South Africa, told Fin24 that journalists should study the facts more carefully before publishing biased viewpoints.

This was especially important when analysing the technological specifications of nuclear reactors being punted for South Africa.

Stories look like brochures - WWF

“Without the full appreciation of trends in the nuclear industry, uncritical journalism can be advertorials for specific technologies or vendors,” said Fakir. “Things should not be accepted at face-value.”

Citing published stories about the Russian tours, Fakir said some look “like brochures” about Rosatom.

“The VVER (a nuclear reactor) is its main export product, where Russia has signed up planned construction deals with several countries such as Turkey, Finland, Belarus and is negotiating deals with Egypt and Nigeria,” said Fakir. “It is planning to build the same VVER reactor in South Africa.

“Whether the VVER reactor is the better choice, whether critical journalism is history or whether Rosatom has a very strong lobby should not exclude the fact that the technology still remains untested outside of Russia, as VVER reactors will most likely become operational at commercial scale by 2020.

“Painting a picture perfect image of Rosatom’s VVER reactor, while throwing the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR, a reactor built by French company Areva) under the bus, does not fall into the category of critical journalism,” said Fakir.  

“It is no secret that different vendors are bidding, but it is equally important to draw attention to and inform South Africans that all vendors face issues.”

Better designs are being built

Improved designs of nuclear power reactors are constantly being developed internationally, according to the World Nuclear Association, Fakir explained.  

Among newer technology development is the Generation III + reactors, whose construction and performance experiences are still new, said Fakir.

“It is for this reason that vendors who are competing for market share should be treated with a short leash, as they can overstate things just like the EPR proponents did when it was first on the market,” said Fakir. “The EPR’s track record as far as costs go is abysmal and let’s not pretend the same may not be true for Rosatom’s VVERs.”

According to the World Nuclear Status 2014, 30 Russian reactors are under construction or planned, which makes Russia the largest international nuclear exporter. The World Nuclear Report 2014 does however point out that: “It is unclear whether Rosatom and the other vendors have the capacity to deliver such an ambitious construction slate”, meaning on time and within stated costs.

Russia's economy under pressure

Russia’s own economy is under stress and its ability to fully finance projects under the build-operate and own model may be a promise too far, said Fakir.

“Due to the ongoing dispute between Russia and Ukraine over Crimea, energy has become an even more high-profile political and economic issue,” the report explains. “Ukraine has been and remains heavily dependent on Russia for its oil, two thirds of its natural gas and all its nuclear fuel, though it is largely self-sufficient in coal.

“As Russia is the only manufacturer of the nuclear fuel used in Ukraine’s VVER reactors, it poses a particular, but not necessarily acute, problem.”

The World Nuclear Association raises concerns regarding the completion dates of many Russian reactors that have been pushed back, sometimes significantly, explained Fakir.

For example, at the end of 2012, the Leningrad 2 nuclear power plant was slated to achieve grid connection in October 2013. However, the grid connection was unexpectedly pushed forward to 2016.

“So far, in all the coverage of Rosatom’s capabilities, what the Rosatom PR forgot to mention, and Rosatom itself acknowledges, is that the new VVER design still needs to have license certification and approval in the US and UK,” said Fakir.

“In other words, all performance claims on safety and costs outside of Russia remain unsubstantiated.”

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