[Type the document title]

[Type the document subtitle]

[Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document. Type the abstract of the document here. The abstract is typically a short summary of the contents of the document.]

Contents
1. 2. 3. 4. ABSTRACT ........................................................................................................................................ 2 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................................... 2 RESEARCH METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 2 REASONS NUCLEAR ENERGY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OR NOT .................................................................... 3 4.1 12 PRINCIPLES OF GREEN ENGINEERING ................................................................................................ 3 4.2 NEED FOR DIVERSIFICATION OF ENERGY SOURCES .................................................................................... 3 4.3 COST IMPLICATIONS ........................................................................................................................... 4 5. FACTORS THAT MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE DECISION MAKING WHEN ESTABLISHING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT ....................................................................................................................................................... 4 5.1 Agenda 21 ..................................................................................................................................... 4 5.1.1 MANAGEMENT OF RADIO ACTIVE WASTES ..................................................................................... 4 5.1.2 SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ...................................................................................... 5

1. ABSTRACT 2. INTRODUCTION
Up until recent price hikes South Africas electricity was amongst the cheapest in the world. However, with the countries strong economic growth, rapid industrialization and mass electrification programmes all contributed to an increase in demand, by the year 2008, the country had reached a situation where the demand for electricity far exceeded what Eskom could supply ( Eskom is the state owned Energy company, responsible for 95 % of South Africas electricity supply). This large discrepancy between demand and supply led to nationwide rolling breakouts being implemented, in January 2008, in order to prevent the collapse of the national grid. As a result, Eskom embarked on a massive programme to both upgrade as well as expand the countrys electricity infrastructure. We need to have adequate electricity going into the future, was commented by Nelisiwe Magubane, Director General of the Department of Energy, about the situation. (Nelisiwe Magubane, Director General of the Department of Energy). Part of this plan includes Eskoms aims to double its nuclear energy output to 80 000 MW within the next 20 years, which shall account for approximately half of the new output capacity. (Reference). Thus, this report shall focus on Nuclear power and its ability to supply South Africa with green, safe, reliable and sustainable energy. This should be provided in usable forms as an alternative to fossil fuels and the deciphering of whether or not South Africa is in a position to expand its nuclear energy. The report shall therefore discuss the aforementioned topic with particular reference to; Agenda 21 and Sustainable Development Programmes Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) Green Engineering Principles Life Cycle Approach

These shall play a key role in defining the factors that need to be taken into account with regard to the implementation of nuclear energy as an alternative energy source.

3. RESEARCH METHODOLOGY
During the research phase of this report, the student aimed to attain articles from a diverse range of perspectives in order to acquire a complete all round objective view of the topic. From this the student was then able to take a stand point based on educated information and facts.

4. REASONS NUCLEAR ENERGY SHOULD BE CONSIDERED OR NOT

4.1 12 PRINCIPLES OF GREEN ENGINEERING
Green Engineering is the development and the commercialization of the industrial processes that are economically feasible and reduce risk to both human health and the environment. These principles were first outlined in 2003 in the American Chemical Societys journal Environmental Science & Technology (2003, 37,94A) by Paul T. Anastas and Julie B. Zimmerman. The 12 Principles of Green Engineering (GPE) provide a frame of reference for both scientists and engineers to use as guidelines when designing new materials, products, processes and systems. Although Nuclear Energy has low Green House Gas (GHG) Emissions when producing electricity, it violates several of the GPEs principles. The 12 Principles of Nuclear Energy have been supplied in Annexure A and will be referred to throughout the report. It is plainly evident that Nuclear Energy (NE) violates Principle 1 & 2, as NE produces both radio active waste and spent fuel as a by product, both of which are severally hazardous and long lived. The mining of uranium also results in large stock piles of radio active sand which is extremely difficult to manage and can easily contaminate surrounding water supplys and food chains. (Peter Montague, 2008) NE violates Principle 12 as uranium is a fuel of finite quantity. This however is not of huge concern as there are vast deposits of uranium readily available to South Africa that shall out last our current major fuel source of coal. Further more NE come into conflict with Principles 9 and 11. Once a Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) has expired (lived out its design life), many of its component parts remain considerably radioactive for centuries or aeons. Thus large components of expired NPPs have to be carefully and laboriously disassembled and transported to a suitable location where they will be mothballed in some way, usually berried deep in the ground. Another approach is to weld the plant shut and contain all its radio activity. Bot activities are extremely risky and if not planned and implemented correctly could have disastrous affects on both the environment and human health.

4.2 NEED FOR DIVERSIFICATION OF ENERGY SOURCES

South Africas economy is heavily dependant on coal. According to the World Energy Council, South African coal resources were estimated at approximately 34 billion tons, accounting for roughly 92% of fuel used for electricity generation in the country. In 2009, the International Energy Agency listed South Africa as the 13th highest emitter of carbon dioxide in the world, of which 80% is generated from the energy sector. Given this, it is clearly evident that for successful climate change reparation

in South Africa, large emphasis needs to be placed on the energy sector to diversify the energy resources in the country and make use of renewable energy and low GHG emission energies to which Nuclear Energy is an alternate solution( National Climate Change Response Green Paper, 2010). Today it is known that Nuclear Power (NP) is one of the least carbon intensive generating emissions, and when considering the emissions from the full life cycle of the NPP, nuclear power produces only a diminutive fraction of green house gases when compared to fossil fuels (Government Gazette, Nuclear Energy Policy for the republic of South Africa, 2008).

4.3 COST IMPLICATIONS

An increase in NPP has both positive and negative cost implications that need be considered. Do to the abundance of coal resources in the country South Africa historically has a low cost electricity supply. Thus one needs to consider the socio-economic effect that both developing and maintaining nuclear supply may have on the country as there are millions of people the country that already struggle to afford the current rates and an increase may deny them access to electricity supply. the effect of this needs to be weighed against the proposed effect that the implementation of the electricity generation levy on non renewable electricity.

5. FACTORS THAT MUST BE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT IN THE DECISION MAKING WHEN ESTABLISHING A NUCLEAR POWER PLANT
When considering factors to be taken into account for this report particular emphasis will be placed on both humanitarian and environmental issues and thus shall highlight consideration such as socio economics, sustainable development, and safe use of toxic chemicals and management of hazardous waste. Thus agenda 21 shall be used as an overarching framework from which to consider these factors.

5.1 Agenda 21
From the 3rd to the 14th of June 1992 172 Governments including 108 Heads of State signed and adopted 3 major agreements to steer future work, one of them being Agenda 21. Agenda 21 tackles todays urgent problems with over 2500 recommendations for action. Its aim is to prepare the world for the challenges of this century and contains in depth proposals in social and economic areas such as, combatting poverty, changing patterns of production and consumption, conserving and managing our natural resources and protecting the atmosphere, oceans and biodiversity. All of these afore mentioned topics are of extreme importance when considering the implementation of a NPP. 5.1.1 MANAGEMENT OF RADIO ACTIVE WASTES Although nuclear energy has significantly lower GHG emissions compared to that of burning fossil fuels, it produces both nuclear waste and spent fuel as a by-product both of which are extremely hazardous to human health and the environment. Hence it is imperative that before further

investment takes place within NE, that the correct systems, procedures and controls are implemented in order to safely process and store these radioactive waste materials. The most dangerous radioactive waste is high-level waste which (generated in the nuclear fuel cycle) and spent nuclear fuel. Majority of countries that have large scale Nuclear power programmes have adopted technical and administrative procedures for managing nuclear waste. Such systems need to be evaluated by South Africa before we proceed in further developing our nuclear power programme (Section II, Chapter 22 of Agenda 21) 5.1.2 SCIENCE FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT An increase in scientific understanding of the connections between human activities and the environment is essential in creating sustainable energy solution for our country. Particular interest in the economic, social and natural processes that affect, or are affected by the atmosphere need to be taken into account when considering the use of Nuclear Energy. At the present moment South Africa is heavily dependent on coal which although cheap produces high volumes of GHG emissions. Thus a greater scientific knowledge needs to be gained in order to establish whether a move towards NE, which also has its negative impact on the environment in terms of radioactive waste, is indeed a more sustainable energy source. Further scientific knowledge also needs to be ascertained in terms of using integrated renewable energy sources which may prove to be not only more environmentally friendly and sustainable, but more economically viable.