TURKEY AND NUCLEAR ENERGY

Dr. Lecturer. Member.İsmail BOZKURT Marmara University

Input

In 1934, Italian scientist Enrico Fermi conducted experiments in Rome and found that neutrons could split most types of atoms. When uranium was bombarded with neutrons, it found atoms lighter than uranium instead of the elements it expected.

In Germany in 1938, Otto HAHN and Frittz Strassman were surprised to find lighter elements such as Barium-56 when they bombarded uranium with neutrons from a source containing radium and beryllium. To demonstrate their work, they took it to LisaMEITNER, an Australian scientist who had fled Nazi Germany. MEITNER was working with Otto R. FRISCH at the time. They thought that barium and other newly formed substances formed as a result of their experiments were substances formed by the splitting of uranium, but the atomic mass of the reacting material and the atomic mass of the products did not correspond to the atomic mass of the products. Then, using EINSTEN's formula E=m.c.c.c., they found the resulting energy output, thus proving the theory of both fission and the conversion of mass into energy. (1)

Summary

Energy is the necessary condition to ensure the continuation of economic activities in developed and developing countries.In our country, which made a leap in the industrial sector after the 1980s, energy supply has become a problem by increasing its importance.

The term nuclear energy was named 2. It was announced with the atomic bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima during World War II. At the end of 1955, the USA and the USSR became the first countries to produce electricity from nuclear energy sources. In 1975, the construction of 157 power plants in 19 countries was completed. The oil-related energy crisis of the 1970s led energy-dependent countries to nuclear energy to a large extent. (2)

Nuclear Energy

Although it has serious dangers that can cause very serious environmental, economic, social and political problems in the event of a possible accident, nuclear energy is used especially by industrialized countries to meet increasing energy needs and to ensure the continuation of the growing economy. By 2030, nearly 200 new nuclear reactors are planned to be built in various countries of the world. While some of the countries are planning to build new nuclear power plants, some countries have taken decisions such as closing their existing power plants or banning the construction of nuclear power plants. As a result of the reactions of the people against nuclear energy among European countries, some countries have decided to close the existing nuclear power plants. In particular, concerns have increased about the reaction after the Fukushima nuclear accident and the safety risk of nuclear energy. As a matter of fact, Germany's closure of 8 reactors in 2011 and its declaration that it will close all nuclear reactors in the country until 2022 shows us that countries follow different policies on nuclear energy (3)

List of Top Ten Countries with the Most Nuclear Reactors

COUNTRIES

Share in Electricity Generation (%)

Number of Nuclear Reactors

Number of reactors under construction

Us

19%

104

3

France

78%

58

1

Japan

18%

50

2

Russia

18%

33

11

South Korea

35%

23

4

Canada

15%

20

-

India

4%

20

7

China

2%

16

28

United Kingdom

14%

16

-

Ukraine

48%

15

2

Bibliography: Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey.

What is the reason why industrialized and rapidly developing countries are increasingly using nuclear energy? The answer to this question should be sought primarily in the advantages provided by nuclear energy and in the fact that fossil energy, which meets a significant part of the energy needs, is at risk of depletion. The fact that the need for energy will exist as long as human life continues and that fossil energy sources are at risk of rapid depletion has led to the fact that states turn to alternative energies such as nuclear energy or renewable energy sources.

Distribution of Electricity Produced in the World According to Energy Resources

Energy Resources

World

Oil

4,60%

Natural gas

22,20%

Coal

40,60%

Hydraulic

16,00%

Nuclear

13,00%

Other (Renewable, etc.)

3,70%

sum

21,431 TWh

                                               Bibliography:   Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources of the Republic of Turkey.

Turkey's Nuclear Energy Policy

In order to meet the increasing energy need in Turkey, it has turned its energy policy to nuclear energy. Since Turkey does not have the nuclear technology that countries such as the USA, Japan or Russia have, it carries out the construction of nuclear reactors through imports. The fact that nuclear energy, which requires advanced technology, is under construction in Turkey has brought with it very serious discussions.

Turkey, which plans to become one of the world's 10 largest economies by 2023, has started to develop new energy policies in order to have energy resources to support its economic goals, to end its dependence on foreign energy and to alleviate the economic burden caused by excessive energy exports. At the beginning of these policies, the use of nuclear energy by reducing dependence on energy sources such as coal, oil and natural gas, which are fossil energy sources, comes. When we look at the other side of the coin, that is, the disadvantages of nuclear energy, which is seen as very attractive when we look only at its advantages, we are faced with a very different picture.        

Nuclear energy, which has caused different debates among both the media and scientists, constitutes the center of Turkey's new energy policies. Turkey, which is under construction of nuclear power plants, has made its decision as a result of long efforts on the choice of location. The nuclear power plants decided to be built in Mersin, Sinop and finally Kırklareli provinces have been frequently discussed by the local people. Especially due to its proximity to Istanbul, the nuclear power plant planned to be built in Kırklareli is exposed to serious reactions despite the possible risk of accidents. (3)

Positive-Negative Aspects of Nuclear Energy

Ideas about the advantages of nuclear energy can be expressed as follows:

• Their potential reserve is very high. It is estimated that today's reserves could feed nuclear power plants for up to 150 years.
• Raw material cost prices are very low, because very small amounts of raw materials are used in energy production.
• Nuclear power plants use less land than other power plants
• The waste of nuclear energy is used for re-energy production in high-tech facilities.
• In nuclear energy, fuel has the convenience of storing it for 10 years. Therefore, there is an opportunity to reduce external dependency.
• It provides a decrease in the foreign exchange expenses spent on importing and producing its own energy to developing countries that meet a large part of the energy it uses through imports.
• There is no need for a nuclear power plant to produce nuclear weapons, so nuclear power plants are not suitable facilities for making weapons.
• Although there is a risk of accidents in every man-made construction in nuclear power plants, the risk of accidents in nuclear power plants is very small.
• Nuclear power plants emit much less carbon dioxide during power generation than power plants that use oil, coal and natural gas, that is, their effects on accelerating global warming are lower since greenhouse gas emissions are less.

Despite these advantages of nuclear energy, there are many negative aspects if they are counted:

• Due to radioactivity, it poses a danger both before production, during the production phase and due to waste. Waste loses 99% of its toxicity after 600 years.    
• Although uranium is small in volume, a large amount of waste material is produced during extraction because it digs a large amount of land.
• Power plants must be established in places with certain geographical characteristics. Raw material does not matter in the choice of location. What is really important in this regard is the proximity to the market and cooling water. For this reason, sea and lake shores, estuaries, large river shores are suitable geographical places. In terms of the market, proximity to industrial areas is important. When this situation is considered from the point of view of our country, it is thought that due to the geographical location of the Mersin-Akkuyu power plant, which is planned to be built, especially in summer, the heating of the sea water will cause problems in cooling processes, and it is also thought that Mersin's distance from the largest industrial areas of our country will reveal energy transportation and bring an additional cost.
• Although there is a small risk of accidents in nuclear power plants. The risk is exacerbated by natural disasters. (As in the case of Japan-Fukishima. ) therefore, when choosing a place for the nuclear power plant, it should be installed not only in places where the risk of disasters such as earthquakes but also landslides and rockfalls is the least.
• Nuclear power is very dangerous for humanity. Atomic, hydrogen and neutron bombs are always the work of this power, with their caustic effects increasing respectively, and as this power increases, the future of humanity is likely to be in greater danger.
• It is necessary to place the plant on the foundations that can pull the weight of which will be very large. Therefore, as the ground nature may affect the choice of location, sea transportation is preferred for the parts to be brought during the establishment of the facility.
• Nuclear facilities pose a great danger against external attacks other than their own accident risks. Any terrorist act that can be carried out at a nuclear power plant will have severe consequences. (4)

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Result

Although Turkey has various primary energy resources, it cannot benefit from these resources sufficiently, cannot provide efficiency in energy production and transmission, and does not give due importance to the issue of loss-leakage. The low share of renewable energy among energy sources, the lack of serious and decisive steps towards the installation of nuclear power plants lead to inadequacy in resource diversity and maintain external dependence on energy.

Turkey, which is dependent on foreign countries, sees nuclear energy as an alternative option in order to close its energy deficit. Before the construction of nuclear facilities, the conditions in Turkey and the risks of accidents in these facilities and the developments that may occur after them should be taken into consideration.