Benefits
- Quality of air and
environment
Indonesia currently uses coal to
produce 51% of their electricity and no usage of nuclear power to generate
energy (United States Energy Information Administration, 2015). Combusting coal
to heat water produces steam to spin turbines, generating electricity.
However, the process produces substances polluting the natural
environment, more specifically, the air. Some substances released into the air
if not contained, disposed and/or treated are carbon dioxide, particulate
matter, sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides and mercury (Union of Concerned
Scientists, n.d.).
Refer to the table below for the
general effects of these substances on our environment, and towards Singapore
as an immediate neighbour of Indonesia and their other neighbours (Union of
Concerned Scientists, n.d.).
Substance
|
Typical amount produced per plant per year
|
Harmful effects
|
Without emission controls
|
With emission control
|
Carbon dioxide
|
3.5 million tons
|
0 ton
|
Global warming
|
Particulate matter
|
500 tons
|
At least 5 tons
|
Asthma, chronic
bronchitis, visibility
|
Sulfur dioxide
|
14, 100 tons
|
7, 000 tons
|
Acid rain (affects
crops and water quality), absorbed into bloodstream
|
Nitrogen oxides
|
10, 300 tons
|
3, 300 tons
|
Burn lung tissue,
increase susceptibility to chronic lung disease
|
Mercury
|
170 pounds
|
153 pounds
|
Brain damage, heart
problems
|
On the other hand, nuclear power plants
emit no carbon emission and other substances, other than radioactive waste
which will either be stored in containers for a long time or reprocessed
through costly procedures.
With the introduction of a nuclear
power plant to generate electricity, the reliance on coal based power plants
can be reduced. Over time, coal power plants may be possibly taken out once the
nuclear power plants can produce more than them. It is noted that the amount of
energy nuclear power plants produce far exceeds any other form of energy
generators. Hence, coal power plants would most possibly phase out, in turn
eliminating the harmful substances from being emitted.
Hence, the one of the benefits of
implementing the nuclear power plant in Indonesia is a reduction in harmful
effects such as global warming, acid rain and chronic lung disease (as seen in
the table above), potentially improving the air quality and environment in the
region.
2.
Electricity trading - Reduction in electricity cost in Singapore
After the initial construction of the
facility and acquiring of materials, other costs and expenses for the nuclear
power plant will be for the maintenance and upkeep the production of energy
other than wages for workers. Cost of production of energy would decrease
drastically after the setting up phase. Also, nuclear power plants are able to
produce far more energy than regular coal and natural gas power plants, hence
extra energy could be sold to neighbouring countries like Singapore.
Cross-referencing to Finland, the chart
below shows that the cost of nuclear energy is much lower compared to some
other forms of energy. Hence, we assume that the price of nuclear energy
produced in Indonesia also would be much lower than the current cost in
Singapore.
Singapore has been mainly importing and
burning natural gas (10%) and petroleum (90%) (United States Energy Information
Administration, n.d.). The expenses generated to produce electricity will vary
along with oil and gas prices in the world. Hence, the expenses and cost are
not as fixed and unable to predict accurately. Such fluctuations are then
passed on to the consumers. With this uncertainty in price of electricity in
Singapore, Singapore can certainly explore mixing the current energy supply
with nuclear energy which can be possibly bought over from Indonesia. This is
assuming that the cost of nuclear energy produced in Indonesia is much lower
than the other forms of energy produced in Singapore.
Importing nuclear energy and
integrating it into our energy source can reduce the cost of electricity.
3.
Increase in trade and investment regionally
From 2011 to 2015, 96% of Indonesia’s
population is supplied electricity (World Bank, 2015). In addition to trading
electricity with Singapore, nuclear power plants in Indonesia would enable
their population to be more accessible to electricity, increasing the
percentage of Indonesia’s population to be supplied electricity. Having the
additional nuclear power plant would increase the quality of Indonesia’s
infrastructure. This can also spur more investors to set up factories,
commercial hubs, production plants, essentially expanding trade and business
with other countries, including Singapore, and between Southeast Asia
countries. From an article, it is stated that “Singapore is Indonesia’s main
trade and investment partner” (Anthoni, 2014). More trade and investment
between the 2 countries are bound to take off.
Risks:
- Radioactive contamination
The current location of the nuclear
power plant being Batam, is a relatively short distance from Singapore, and it
being geographically located near the sea between Singapore and Indonesia. Sea
water can also contaminate further countries. If standard operating procedures
of the disposal of nuclear waste was not adhered to, and dumped into the sea
for quick and easy disposal, radioactive waste would easily drift toward
Singapore and Malaysia’s waters, contaminating them within hours. Some possible
contamination of radioactive waste affects (refer to table below):
Radioactive waste
contaminates
|
Potential impacts
upon contact
|
Water and dust
|
Humans and animals:
Mutation of cells,
cancer
|
Livestock and
crops:
Infected with
radioactive particles are deadly to humans when consumed
|
2.
Paralyze Singapore
Nuclear plant disasters can occur
anytime. For example, the water cooling system breaks down and the backup
fails, an explosion can occur, causing a leakage of radioactive material. Refer
to the table below for the causes and INES level of the different nuclear
reactor plant disasters (Rogers, 2011).
From a previous nuclear reactor
disaster in Fukushima, Japan in 2011, they had demarcated an 80 kilometre
radius exclusion zone (BBC News, 2011). This means that no one should be living
within that exclusion zone. Assuming that the same radius was given for the
exclusion zone when a nuclear disaster occurs in Batam, the close proximity of
Singapore is to Batam, 31 km, would mean that the whole of Singapore is within
the exclusion zone as seen in the diagram below.
If something happens, for example, in
Indonesia's nuclear facility, which will be built very close to Singapore, it
will affect the whole country. (Amir. S, NTU’s School of Humanities and Social
Sciences, September 27, 2015).
The entire Singapore would be located
within the exclusion zone as seen in the diagrams above, all citizens will be
forced to evacuate as the area will have high levels of radiation, deeming it
to be deadly to mankind and an inhabitable land. Singapore, the urban
metropolis will be abandoned by its own citizens, only for wildlife to reclaim
itself on the tropical island. From a case-study of the Chernobyl exclusion
zone, wildlife flourished in the absence of human intervention (Kaplan &
Kirkpatrick, 2015). Singapore would not be able to function as a country,
hosting humans, trade, technology advancements so on and so forth.
References
Anthoni, M. (2014, December 4).
Singapore is Indonesia’s main trade, investment partner.
BBC News. (2011, March 31). Japan
nuclear crisis: Pressure to widen evacuation zone.
Kaplan, S., & Kirkpatrick, N.
(2015). In the eerie emptiness of Chernobyl’s abandoned
Rogers, S. (2011, March 18). Nuclear power plants accidents: listed and
ranked since 1952. The Guardian. Retrieved from
The World Bank. (2015). Access to
electricity (% of population). Retrieved from
Union of Concerned Scientists. (n.d.).
Coal power: Air pollution. Retrieved from
United States Energy Information
Administration. (2015, October 7). Indonesia International energy data
