Is It Safe To Build a Nuclear Power Plant in Malaysia?

Safety issue has always been the most hotly debated issue when it comes to nuclear talk for Malaysia.

First of all, having a nuclear power plant sited next to ocean is totally safe because the Pressurized Water Reactor(PWR) operates on 2 loops, the possible radioactive loop remains enclosed and will not be mixed with the coolant loop that utilize the ocean water. Hence there is no worry of contaminating ocean water and hence the flora and faunas.

Malaysia is lucky to be off the tectonic plate, the chance that earthquake occurs is very low. In addition, the design of the foundation of the nuclear powerplant has already catered for the possibility of having earthquake and able to withstand it.

The possible site for nuclear powerplant is for sure isolated, in addition exclusion area boundaries of a necessary range of distance.

Furthermore, the nuclear powerplant has in depth defence, passive safety sytems that do not require any power input to function but will function under any condition. One of the example is the use of gravity to drop control rod into the reactor. ECCS, plant control systems and redundancy and diversity also help to secure the safety of a nuclear power plant!

Many were inquiring whether a nuclear power plant explosion will occur. As a matter of fact, explosion of nuclear power plant or more specifically, nuclear reactor is almost impossible because the energy is not sufficient. Compared to nuclear bomb, where the fuel is richly enriched, the fuel of the reactor is only slightly enriched and could not provide such large amount of energy release at one time strong enough to cause explosion.

Airplane crash either man caused or accident, will not be able to threaten the security of nuclear powerplant too, as there is containment building that is set to protect the nuclear powerplant from such accidents.

Finally, I will leave the question for you all to answer. Is it safe to build NPP in Malaysia?