Benefits Of Nuclear Energy Power On Malaysian Society Engineering Essay

A comprehensive energy policy study has been undertaken and in June 2009 the government decided formally to consider nuclear power. A Nuclear Power Development Steering Committee was set up, to plan and coordinate the nuclear power development program through three working groups. Late in 2013 was set as target date for the steering committee’s Nuclear Power Infrastructure Development Plan (NPIDP), at which point the government will decide whether to proceed. In May 2010 the Energy Minister said that nuclear power was the only viable energy option long-term. Under the NP Steering Committee are three bodies: Nuclear Power Program Working Group under the Malaysian Nuclear Energy Agency (MNA), the Nuclear Power Project Working Group under the utility Tenaga Nasional Berhad (TNB), and a Legal and Regulatory Coordination Working Committee involving the Atomic Energy Licensing Board (AELB) and the Energy Commission. 

Prior to all this, in August 2006 the Malaysian Nuclear Licensing Board said that plans for nuclear power after 2020 should be brought forward and two reactors built much sooner. In July 2008 the government directed TNB to set up a task force to look at the feasibility of nuclear power. In September the government announced that it had no option but to commission nuclear power due to costly fossil fuel, and set 2023 as target date. It then sent a draft energy policy blueprint back to the Energy Commission as it was not comprehensive enough.

As of early 2010 the government had a $7 billion budget to build a nuclear power plant, and in May the Ministry of Energy, Green Technology and Water was told to find a suitable site so that the first unit could be in operation by 2021. The next step is the appointment of consultants to prepare feasibility study by late 2013, along with developing the regulatory framework, the soft infrastructure, and winning public support. Plus, In May 2010, the chairman of the Malaysian Nature Society recommended that the state of Sabah consider nuclear energy as an alternative to coal.

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Generally, most people do not prefer to use nuclear energy as the power source is due to the costly initial investment required to construct a nuclear plant. However, they do not think carefully on the benefit that we will achieve if we lessen the usage of fossil fuel as source of energy and move to nuclear energy. It is because nuclear energy is much cheaper. Even when oil and gas prices are lowered, electrical energy is competitive with fossil fuels. In fact, by using the nuclear energy, we can cover back the cost of building the nuclear plant in a just a short period as we should have save a lot of money from the usage of fossil fuels. Furthermore, we know that nuclear energy can supply larger source of energy from less amount of nuclear source which is mainly uranium. Not just that, nuclear energy prices are stable compare to oil and gas which is unstable and usually always increase due to circumstances such as political issues and world oil crisis. A country can purchase years of uranium supply when the price is low as it does not required much space and can be easily stored until the time we need to use it. 

From what have been discussed above, we should have realized that nuclear energy bring more benefits on economy compare to oil and gas and thus, it should be highly recommended to build a nuclear plant in Malaysia.

Environment

Apart from that, nuclear energy is also claims as a clean way to produce energy as it does not result in the emission of any of the poisonous gases like carbon dioxide or nitrogen dioxide. In today’s world when pollution of the atmosphere is one of our main worries, an option such as this is definitely preferable compared to burning of fossil fuels which causes so much pollution. It can help to minify global warming by reducing the emission of Carbon Dioxide level in the surrounding far better than fossil fuels or also known as petroleum. According to international Energy Agency (IEA), that was examined to which energy sources can really help to lessen global warming by reduce Carbon Dioxide imitation, shows that from all the measures suggested, nuclear energy was found to have minimum effect on causing global warming. It is just about 10 percent! This result is even more remarkable to face the fact from International Energy Agency (IEA) that having no reservation to oppose nuclear energy. In comparison, coal and oil have Sulphur impurities that can cause smog and city pollution, but nuclear fuel is pure and free Sulphur. As nuclear energy produce electricity through the Uranium fission, not by burning of fuel, so that accordingly nuclear power does not pollute air. However, the use of nuclear energy application gives rise on many problematic because Carbon Dioxide emission must not be looked at solely of all risk. Hence, nuclear energy is not solution to all. This technology is still young and new. Lots of test and research should be done in order to find the greatest way in handling with its waste product, atomic fission, cooling method and etc. Until the scientists fine the correct method in controlling, handling and suitable materials to be used, it is recommended not to build up this energy sources as it very risky either in economic phase because it consumed quiet large investment of cash or especially bad effect to human being, other living organisms as well as our mother nature.

Society

There are many benefits of nuclear energy power on society in Malaysia and one of the benefits is that this power can produce vast amount of electricity that can be used on our country in a long term. The average amount of electricity that can be produced by a nuclear plan is 850 MW and about 439 nuclear energy plan around 30 countries that contribute on electricity production about 16 percent from the entire electricity around the world. Instead, there was a statement state by Mohammad Zamzam Jaafar, Head of Tenaga Nasional`s (TNB) nuclear unit said, Malaysia will hire Korea Electric Power Corporation (KEPC) in order to assist Malaysia prepare fundamental feasibility study for Malaysia’s first nuclear plant. An agreement already construct by TNB. Actually, using the fission energy of Uranium and not by burning fuel does not pollute air. However, the use of nuclear energy can give us highly problematic matter because carbon dioxide emission must not be looked at independently of all risk and problems. This technology is still young and lots of test and research should be conducted in order to find the greatest way handling with it waste product, atomic fission, cooling method and many more. Moreover, nuclear energy can produced high amount of energy unlike wind and radiant light from the sun or solar energy and it is the only logical option now instead of fossil fuels. This is nuclear energy’s benefit which is undeniable. When compared to the fossil fuel waste, the nuclear waste which occurs due to the production of nuclear power is not only small in quantity but also remains confined so as not to affect anyone in its surroundings. It has been proved that if a typical family of four uses nuclear power for all its needs then the waste produced over a period of a lifetime would be as small as a golf ball. Other than that, the availability of nuclear power is competitive compared to other sources of power like oil and gas since the cost of the nuclear fuel is a small part of the total reaction and therefore even if there is a slight fluctuation in the market the entire reaction need not be affected and one of the main benefits of nuclear power is that it is an extremely reliable source of power because most nuclear reactors have a life cycle of 40 years which can be easily extended further for 20 more years. That means that this form of power is virtually inexhaustible. Furthermore, by using nuclear power, it can be our biggest political advantages by the reduction of dependence upon foreign oil, most of which lies in the Middle East and Russia. It can also decrease the western democracies of foreign oil free and it can be further facilitated with nuclear power. Most of all, nuclear power is safe although we heard a few accident cause by this power but these are only sporadic incidents compared to the rate of accidents which occur in fossil fuel industries, coal mines and gas pipelines which have a history of eruption. A report from nuclear power conference, Shangri- La, state that gas currently makes up 60 percent of Malaysia’s energy mix, but by 2027, the gas fields expected to be depleted, so that it is vital for Malaysia to search another source of alternative energy in order to ensure the electricity to this country always continue and supplies to the society.