NSHR in nuke protests

NAMIBIA should not allow nuclear power plants to be built in the country, and especially not by Russia because of that country’s poor track record in that sector, a human rights group has warned.

Namibia’s National Society for Human Rights (NSHR) joined another organisation, Earthlife Namibia, in rejecting the proposed construction by Russian companies of nuclear power stations in Namibia. The Russian Federation has intensified its efforts to set up nuclear power plants in Namibia.Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov held private talks on the proposed plants with Prime Minister Nahas Angula and President Hifikepunye Pohamba during a blitz visit to Windhoek recently.Fradkov said his country was considering the construction of “floating” nuclear power plants in Namibia – a new and untested technology.”The basis of our rejection of the proposed Russian nuke technology is from the environmental rights point of view and from a human security viewpoint,” said NSHR executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh yesterday.”As a human rights body, we are gravely concerned about the proliferation of uranium by-products, which go along with intensive uranium mining in our country, as well as the handling of nuclear fuel rods to operate nuclear reactors.”Russia had several nuclear catastrophes such as the one at Chernobyl in 1986 and several fire fiascos on board of nuclear submarines, such as the Komsolets in 1989, the Kursk in 2000 and the St Daniil Moskovsky last year,” said Ya Nangoloh in a statement.In 2005, Russia’s Federal Nuclear Energy Agency (FNEA) announced that it would build a low-capacity floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), the first project of its kind in the world.The sea-borne mini-station would be located in the White Sea off the coast of the town of the town of Severodvinsk in northern Russia.Construction was scheduled to begin in 2006 if the project found financing, but has not yet started.”A floating nuclear power plant is a new technology, which has never been tested anywhere in the world, including Russia itself, regarding its reliability both in terms of electricity generation and human safety,” the NSHR added.”Moreover, we suspect that the proposed FNPP which Russia plans to build in our country would most probably be powered by one or two nuclear reactors from, or similar to those used in disaster-ridden Russian submarines, such as those mentioned above.”These types of machines are heavy to maintain in terms of both manpower and technical expertise and, hence, they are bound to be a drain on Namibia’s scarce financial resources.So, for Namibia to import such disaster-prone Russian technologies or have them developed locally in this country is tantamount to playing a financial and socio-economic Russian roulette.”The best way for Namibia is to develop renewable energy sources, such as solar power and windmill-generated power,” warned Ya Nangoloh.The Russian Federation has intensified its efforts to set up nuclear power plants in Namibia.Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Fradkov held private talks on the proposed plants with Prime Minister Nahas Angula and President Hifikepunye Pohamba during a blitz visit to Windhoek recently.Fradkov said his country was considering the construction of “floating” nuclear power plants in Namibia – a new and untested technology.”The basis of our rejection of the proposed Russian nuke technology is from the environmental rights point of view and from a human security viewpoint,” said NSHR executive Director Phil ya Nangoloh yesterday.”As a human rights body, we are gravely concerned about the proliferation of uranium by-products, which go along with intensive uranium mining in our country, as well as the handling of nuclear fuel rods to operate nuclear reactors.”Russia had several nuclear catastrophes such as the one at Chernobyl in 1986 and several fire fiascos on board of nuclear submarines, such as the Komsolets in 1989, the Kursk in 2000 and the St Daniil Moskovsky last year,” said Ya Nangoloh in a statement.In 2005, Russia’s Federal Nuclear Energy Agency (FNEA) announced that it would build a low-capacity floating nuclear power plant (FNPP), the first project of its kind in the world.The sea-borne mini-station would be located in the White Sea off the coast of the town of the town of Severodvinsk in northern Russia.Construction was scheduled to begin in 2006 if the project found financing, but has not yet started.”A floating nuclear power plant is a new technology, which has never been tested anywhere in the world, including Russia itself, regarding its reliability both in terms of electricity generation and human safety,” the NSHR added.”Moreover, we suspect that the proposed FNPP which Russia plans to build in our country would most probably be powered by one or two nuclear reactors from, or similar to those used in disaster-ridden Russian submarines, such as those mentioned above.”These types of machines are heavy to maintain in terms of both manpower and technical expertise and, hence, they are bound to be a drain on Namibia’s scarce financial resources.So, for Namibia to import such disaster-prone Russian technologies or have them developed locally in this country is tantamount to playing a financial and socio-economic Russian roulette.”The best way for Namibia is to develop renewable energy sources, such as solar power and windmill-generated power,” warned Ya Nangoloh.