Münster 2017 – scientific programme

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AKE: Arbeitskreis Energie

AKE 11: Nuclear Energy and Security (Joint Session AKE-AGA)

AKE 11.1: Invited Talk

Wednesday, March 29, 2017, 16:45–17:15, S Aula

Nuclear Power and Nuclear Safety Post Fukushima — •Christoph Pistner and Matthias Englert — Öko-Institut e.V., Rheinstraße 95, 64295 Darmstadt

On March 11, 2011, the second "major accident" in a civilian nuclear power plant after Chernobyl took place in Fukushima Dai-ichi. A major earthquake and resulting tsunami lead to a core melt in three reactors and the following relocation of more than 100.000 residents. But still, worldwide there are 450 nuclear reactors operational today. Safety checks like the EU-Stresstest took place after Fukushima and possibilities for optimization have been identified basically everywhere. Fukushima emphasized the importance of taking natural events more thoroughly into account and led to the implementation of additional safety equipment. But still, events from internal and external causes continue to happen frequently. In addition to these "conventional" safety problems, also other threats gain in importance. Besides the danger of terrorist attacks on nuclear facilities, also the deterioration of the institutional environment due to a military or economic crisis has to be taken into account. Thus, nuclear power remains to be a technology with the inherent potential for catastrophic accidents.