Official MJJC Support Thread - Japanese Tsunami

[Autumn II]

http://enenews.com/1...t-expected-rise
100% chance of reactor core damage if floodwaters went above 1010 ft. at Ft. Calhoun nuke plant, NRC said in 2010 — River now around 1,007 ft. and expected to rise
June 27th, 2011 at 02:36 PM

original article: http://mrzine.monthl...baum270611.html
[...] During their routine inspections of weather protection readiness in 2010 [...] NRC estimated there was a 100% chance of reactor core damage caused by a flood rising above 1010 feet. The table at the top of Figure 1 provides the NRC’s assessment of the flooding risk while the table at the bottom provides the results from the risk assessment by Fort Calhoun Station (FCS). The company contested the NRC’s estimate. Its calculations showed that the chance of core meltdown was merely 19% for floods above 1010 feet and up to and including 1010.8 feet and only 23.9% for floods above 1010.8 feet to 1014 feet. [...]

UCS cannot say that these NRC actions already prevented an accident at Fort Calhoun or that they will prevent one should the flood waters continue to rise. However, the NRC did its job last year. The NRC’s inspectors found that Fort Calhoun was supposed to be protected against floods rising to 1014 feet, but was not. The NRC’s risk analysts determined that this deficiency was not academic — floods above 1010 feet had a 100 percent chance of core meltdown. And the NRC’s managers used the agency’s enforcement process to compel the plant’s owner to remedy the shortcomings rather than merely debate their risk.

 

[Milka]

http://uk.news.yahoo.com/jellyfish-halt-british-nuclear-power-station-162407275.html

Jellyfish halt British nuclear power station

A nuclear power station in eastern Scotland had to shut down its reactors after "high volumes" of jellyfish were found on its seawater filter screens, the operating company said Thursday.

"Both units at Torness power station were manually shut down on 28 June, due to the high volumes of jelly fish fouling the cooling water screens," said a statement from EDF Energy, which runs the power station near Dunbar.

It explained that the shutdown was purely a precautionary measure and insisted that "at no time was there a danger to the public", nor had there been any impact on the environment. The nuclear regulator had also been informed.

"Reduced cooling water flows due to ingress from jelly fish, seaweed and other marine debris are considered as part of the station's safety case and are not an unknown phenomenon," the statement said.

Work was underway to clear the jellyfish from the waters near the power station, and staff were also monitoring the area for more jellyfish.

"The reactors will be restarted once the jellyfish situation subsides," the energy company said.

Of course there was no danger to the public ... :doh:

 

[Autumn II]

Jelly fish? JELLY FISH???????? Good God!, what's next?

(edit) FYI, there is an out-of-control wildfire in New Mexico, VERY close to the Los Alamos nuclear facility. We are being told, "there is no risk." At that facility, plutonium is stored under canvas TENTS, outdoors. Plutonium is the most toxic substance known.

 

[Ashtanga]

(edit) FYI, there is an out-of-control wildfire in New Mexico, VERY close to the Los Alamos nuclear facility. We are being told, "there is no risk." At that facility, plutonium is stored under canvas TENTS, outdoors. Plutonium is the most toxic substance known.

There is no risk... :sigh: They think we're idiots. Of course there is a risk! :doh:

 

[Autumn II]

There is no risk... :sigh: They think we're idiots. Of course there is a risk! :doh:

Yes, "they" DO think we are idiots. This is all about commerce, and greed. And control of the media, for the sake of commerce. The plutonium is stored OUTSIDE, in canvas tents. There is a wildfire less than a mile away. This isn't rocket-science! (no, wait. It IS "rocket science!") Serious, serious mistake, to EVER develop nuclear power.

 

[Ashtanga]

Yes, "they" DO think we are idiots. This is all about commerce, and greed. And control of the media, for the sake of commerce. The plutonium is stored OUTSIDE, in canvas tents. There is a wildfire less than a mile away. This isn't rocket-science! (no, wait. It IS "rocket science!") Serious, serious mistake, to EVER develop nuclear power.

Exactly!!! Sad to say but I hope not another catastrophe arises. :angel: I really hope that the authorities are looking for this. This is a shame.

 

[CaptainEoLove85]

Yes, "they" DO think we are idiots. This is all about commerce, and greed. And control of the media, for the sake of commerce. The plutonium is stored OUTSIDE, in canvas tents. There is a wildfire less than a mile away. This isn't rocket-science! (no, wait. It IS "rocket science!") Serious, serious mistake, to EVER develop nuclear power.

I'll tell you who the idiots are, and it's not us. :sigh: I'm sure they'll enjoy their money/power once we're all extinct. Priorities?

 

[princessleia]

It seems the jellyfish are on an anti nuclear protest of sorts, the same happened in Japan:

http://hisz.rsoe.hu/alertmap/woalert_read.php?edis=NC-20110624-31280-JPN
A Japanese nuclear reactor that slowed down when jellyfish partly blocked a seawater intake resumed normal operations on Friday, operator Chugoku Electric Power Co said. Output from the 820 megawatt reactor fell to 770 MW on Thursday after the jellyfish partly covered the entrance of a seawater supply pipe, the Hiroshima-based utility said. A fall in the number of jellyfish enabled the No.2 reactor at its sole Shimane plant return to operating at full capacity on Friday, it said.


http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/jun/30/british-government-plan-play-down-fukushima
Revealed: British government's plan to play down Fukushima

Internal emails seen by Guardian show PR campaign was launched to protect UK nuclear plans after tsunami in Japan

Revealed: British government's plan to play down Fukushima

Government officials launched a PR campaign to ensure the accident at the Fukushima nuclear facility in Japan did not derail plans for new nuclear power stations in the UK. Photograph: AP

British government officials approached nuclear companies to draw up a co-ordinated public relations strategy to play down the Fukushima nuclear accident just two days after the earthquake and tsunami in Japan and before the extent of the radiation leak was known.

Internal emails seen by the Guardian show how the business and energy departments worked closely behind the scenes with the multinational companies EDF Energy, Areva and Westinghouse to try to ensure the accident did not derail their plans for a new generation of nuclear stations in the UK.

 

[Milka]

Some good news:

http://www.greenpeace.org/internati...rwhelmingly-votes-for-the-energy-r/blog/35535

Germany overwhelmingly votes for the energy revolution

Blogpost by Brigitte Behrens - July 1, 2011 at 12:43

Greenpeace Germany Executive Director Brigitte Behrens reflects on the importance of the German Parliament’s decision to phase out the country's nuclear power plants, not just in Germany, but because of the example it sets for other nuclear-powered countries.

Germany’s vote is historic, not only as it on a final nuclear phase-out by 2022, but even more importantly the Parliament decided on a definite power shift to renewable energies as the replacement. The law was passed in with an overwhelming majority of 513 votes in favour, with a mere 79 votes against and eight abstentions. The decision will be in compliance with the German -40% CO2 reduction objective from 1990 to 2020 and importantly will comprise a significant drop in coal use.

The whole package is a very important signal to the world: Germany is convinced by and committed to the fact that renewable energies and efficiency technologies will not only contribute to more sustainable life on earth, but a more sustainable economic future. The potential for job creation and economic success is underscored by the fact that the move was supported by trade unions, including the largest metal worker's union.

Importantly, the phase out law will be combined with related laws securing the switch to renewables including the acceleration of investments in new grids; increased energy efficiency; the promotion of on-shore wind energy and a revised feed-in-tariffs for renewable electricity.

The nuclear phase out itself comprises the following steps: Eight nuclear reactors - under a moratorium since March 2011 and the Fukushima disaster - will not be restarted and will be phased out. This is wonderful because they are the oldest ones representing the highest risks. The other nine nuclear reactors will be phased out gradually until 2022.

The fact that the phase-out dates are fixed and do not contain loopholes for extensions into the future is excellent. This helps of course the decisions by investors in renewables and gives planning security for new grids.

However, we are still critical about the fact that the newest reactors will be allowed to run until 2022. This implies another 11 years of unnecessary health and environmental risks. As we showed with our energy revolution scenario ('Der Plan') - the phase-out can be achieved by 2015. Another critical question is still open: the fate of the looming stockpiles of nuclear waste that have been left behind by Germany's reliance on nuclear power; there still is no acceptable solution.

Nevertheless, the outcome is far better than the situation in the autumn 2010 when the government not only overturned a previous decision to phase out nuclear energy, but introduced life-time extensions of the nuclear reactors for an average of 12 years till 2032 with further loopholes. The catastrophes in Fukushima shocked not only the citizens, but also parts of the government including our chancellor Angela Merkel.

Since March 11th, all our staff and volunteers have been working relentlessly to distribute information about the catastrophes in Fukushima and to take the historic chance to promote the energy revolution in Germany. We published several studies, we promoted a popular version of our energy scenario, we gave thousands of interviews, argued with politicians at all levels, conducted the biggest mobilisation ever - and we were successful! Let's hope that the German message will help push the energy revolution world-wide!

 

[Ashtanga]

Some good news:

http://www.greenpeace.org/internati...rwhelmingly-votes-for-the-energy-r/blog/35535

Yes....

"but even more importantly the Parliament decided on a definite power shift to renewable energies as the replacement." >>> This is good! Let's see....

 

[Milka]

This is all so sad and tragic ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/04/earlyshow/main20076634.shtml

Elderly Japanese volunteer for nuke cleanup

(CBS News)

Many senior citizens take up volunteer work after retirement. But in Japan, a new civic group has formed, with a particularly urgent and hazardous mission -- senior citizens offering to take the place of younger workers at the crippled Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

CBS News correspondent Lucy Craft recently spoke with members of the "skilled Veterans Corps," made up of former professionals who are signing up for duty at the facility.

For seniors like Michio Itoh, who supervises a shop for the handicapped, replacing the younger men at Fukushima Dai-ichi felt like a moral obligation.

"Making young people do that harsh work at the nuclear plant is cruel," Itoch said. "I want to shoulder some of their burden."

To others the mission is personal.

"If the nuclear plant isn't brought under control, it could have all kinds of effects on young children," one grandmother volunteering with the corps said to CBS News. "I couldn't just sit back and do nothing."

The group's founder, Yasuteru Yamada is a no-nonsense retired engineer; he insists that this is no kamikaze suicide squad. Instead, he says it simply makes more sense for seniors - in their sunset years - to pitch in.

"Senior people, elder people, will get less influence (sic) by radiation. Therefore we say older people should take action."

Yamada's companion, Maho Masubuchi, says the retired engineer made up his mind right after the nuclear accident.

"Most Japanese are thinking, 'Gee, somebody has to go into that radiation and fix the plant - I sure hope it's nobody I know,'" Masubuchi said. "But Yamada couldn't just let others take the risk. He had to help."

So through word-of-mouth and a website he recruited other seniors to join him. Right now they have 400 volunteers, though Masubuchi estimates they will need somewhere in the thousands over time.

"This is just an initiation, the starting point."

Yamada survived a narrow brush with lymphoma three years ago. At 72, his cancer is in remission, and he's determined to make every moment of his life count. He plans to make his first trip to survey the crippled plant this month.

One of Yamada's hobbies is Japanese calligraphy - painting poetic verses in traditional characters. A work that he recently completed and showed CBS News is a rumination about his own passage of time.

"From a withered tree a flower blooms again," it reads.

Video at link.

 

[Ashtanga]

This is all so sad and tragic ...

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2011/07/04/earlyshow/main20076634.shtml



Video at link.

:no:



These seniors have done so much in their lives... should be resting. This is work for young people.

 

[Milka]

:no:



These seniors have done so much in their lives... should be resting. This is work for young people.

I can see where they are coming from - young people have their whole lives ahead of them, and if they get sick or die at a young age ... or if they are lucky and they don't get sick, they probably still want to have children, but they might have become unfertile or their children might be born sick ...

Bottom line is ... nobody, not young, not old, should ever have to clean up a radioactive mess caused by stupidity and greed. This has to stop, and I hope Germany is an example for other countries.

 

[Ashtanga]

I can see where they are coming from - young people have their whole lives ahead of them, and if they get sick or die at a young age ... or if they are lucky and they don't get sick, they probably still want to have children, but they might have become unfertile or their children might be born sick ...

Bottom line is ... nobody, not young, not old, should ever have to clean up a radioactive mess caused by stupidity and greed. This has to stop, and I hope Germany is an example for other countries.

You're right. Either way everyone is in the same boat and suffering with the same danger.

 

[Autumn II]

Major earthquake strikes off the northern coast of Japan

By the CNN Wire Staff
July 9, 2011 9:53 p.m. EDT

STORY HIGHLIGHTS

• NEW: No immediate abnormalities were reported at nearby nuclear plants, Kyodo says
• NEW: Tremors are felt as far away as Tokyo
• The earthquake struck Sunday morning
• Tsunami advisories are issued for several coastal regions

(CNN) -- A major earthquake struck off the northeastern coast of Japan Sunday, prompting tsunami advisories for several coastal regions, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said.


The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake struck at 10:57 a.m. at the epicenter, about 130 miles east of Sendai.


The earthquake was more than 20 miles deep and had a magnitude of 7.0, the USGS said.


The JMA measured the magnitude of the quake at 7.1.


Tsunami advisories were issued for the coastal regions of Iwate, Miyagi and Fukushima, the JMA said.


The areas were among the hardest hit by this year's devastating earthquake and tsunami.
No immediate abnormalities were reported at nearby nuclear facilities, according to the semiofficial Kyodo news agency. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, the agency said.


Tremors from the quake were felt as far away as Tokyo.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/07/09/japan.earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[Autumn II]

Quake jolts northeast Japan, nuclear workers evacuate


<cite class="caption"> Reuters &#8211; A high place working vehicle is seen before it was sent to a nitrogen injection planned point at the &#8230; </cite>

<cite class="vcard"> </cite> &#8211; <abbr title="2011-07-09T19:03:42-0700" class="recenttimedate">14 mins ago</abbr>
TOKYO (Reuters) &#8211; A strong earthquake jolted northeastern Japan on Sunday, and workers at the crippled Fukushima nuclear power plant were evacuated after an alert for a half-meter tsunami was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency.
The quake monitoring agency said the earthquake had a magnitude of 7.0 and occurred at a depth of 10 km (6 miles) off the northeastern coast.

Broadcaster NHK later reported a tsunami of 10 cm along the northeast coast.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage from the quake, NHK said in an earlier broadcast.

The same area was hit by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11 that left at least 21,000 dead and missing. The March disaster cut power to the Fukushima power plant and triggered a radiation crisis.

Tokyo Electric Power said all of the workers at Fukushima had been evacuated to higher ground, adding that there was no sign of any immediate further damage at the nuclear plant where workers have been struggling to build a cooling system to stabilize the reactors.

Tokyo Electric said it would be monitoring a massive barge moored just offshore from the Fukushima nuclear power plant that has been used as a temporary storage depot for radiated water for any damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated the quake's magnitude of 7.3, but then revised that estimate down to a magnitude 7.

http://old.news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20110710/wl_nm/us_japan_quake

 

[qbee]

Its all to scary _ these nuclear plants are a ticking Bombs

 

[Autumn II]

Its all to scary _ these nuclear plants are a ticking Bombs

Did you catch that? TEPCO is storing "irradiated water" in a BARGE, in the ocean!

 

[Ashtanga]

Did you catch that? TEPCO is storing "irradiated water" in a BARGE, in the ocean!

:no:


So wrong...

 

[StephluvsMJ]

Did you catch that? TEPCO is storing "irradiated water" in a BARGE, in the ocean!

:no: insane...

 

[MIST]

Who do you think of when you hear,see or read about sunflowers?
http://www.care2.com/causes/sunflowers-may-heal-fukushimas-radioactive-soil.html

 

[Milka]

Who do you think of when you hear,see or read about sunflowers?
http://www.care2.com/causes/sunflowers-may-heal-fukushimas-radioactive-soil.html

Wow, that was interesting, have never heard that before, they did this at Tschernobyl as well.

http://blogs.voanews.com/breaking-news/2011/07/13/kan-to-propose-cuts-in-japans-nuclear-power-use/

Kan to Propose Cuts in Japan&#8217;s Nuclear Power Use

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011 at 7:55 am UTC
Posted 2 days ago

Japanese media say Prime Minister Naoto Kan will call for a sharp reduction in the nation's reliance on nuclear power at a news conference Wednesday evening .

The reports say Mr. Kan will also propose a wide-ranging review of the country's energy policies, with a view to boosting its use of renewable energy resources.

The news conference comes amid mounting pressure for the increasingly unpopular prime minister to announce the date of his resignation. He said last month that he will do so soon, but only after pushing through legislation aimed at boosting green energy and financing Japan's recovery from its March 11 earthquake and tsunami.

Mr. Kan has also been criticized for his government's belated decision to subject all of the country's nuclear plants to stress tests before they can be re-opened. All but 19 of Japan's 54 reactors are out of service &#8212; in most cases for routine checks &#8212; straining the country's ability to meet its energy needs.

The prime minister has already said Japan will have to reconsider a plan to boost its reliance on nuclear power to more than 50 percent by 2030.

Recent polls show the public has lost faith in nuclear power after months of anxiety over contamination leaks from the Fukushima Daichi nuclear plant. Fewer than 10 percent now favor the construction of new nuclear plants.

However there are still powerful interests in industry and parliament that will resist efforts to cut back on the use of nuclear power.

The vice chairman of Japan Atomic Energy Commission warned in an interview Wednesday with Reuters news agency that phasing out nuclear energy would bring other risks, including higher carbon dioxide emissions from fossil fuels and reliance on oil from the politically volatile Middle East.

Greenpeace comments on that:

http://www.greenpeace.org/internati...-minister-looks-to-a-nuclear-free/blog/35754/

 

[Autumn II]

Who do you think of when you hear,see or read about sunflowers?
http://www.care2.com/causes/sunflowers-may-heal-fukushimas-radioactive-soil.html

Fascinating. Thanks! However, just before I read the link, I put some sunflower seeds out on my deck railing. Birds of all types eat them, as do squirrels, chipmunks, raccoons, and many other types of small mammals.

I'd assume that some of the radioactivity is drawn from the soil and into the plant? And also into the seeds? To enter the food chain if not completely harvested and. . . then what? Stored somewhere? The plants are composted, somewhere? And then what?

We need to rid ourselves of nuclear power, as soon as possible. . .

 

[MIST]

I suppose they have to put the sunflowers together with other nuclear waste.They should harvest it before it get seeds but who knows what they are going to do.
I don´t know if they have been testing other plants too which animals don´t eat

I feed the birds with sunflowerseeds during the winters and they love it.
Last winter I had some deers here and they ate it too.

 

[Milka]

I suppose they have to put the sunflowers together with other nuclear waste.

That's what it says in the article:

Once the plants have grown and if it is confirmed that they have absorbed significant quantities of cesium, scientists will employ bacteria to decompose the plants, and the result will be treated as radioactive waste.

So yes, they are nuclear waste that has to be stored somewhere for hundreds and thousands of years. It might help clean the soil, but at the same time they are just shifting the problem elsewhere. There is no safe way to store nuclear waste.

 

[Autumn II]

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Japan scrambles to protect damaged reactor from typhoon

From Yoko Wakatsuki, CNN
July 18, 2011 7:01 a.m. EDT

The Fukushima nuclear power plant in March -- workers are now building a protective cover ahead of an approaching typhoon.

Tokyo, Japan (CNN) -- Workers in Japan scrambled Monday to build a protective covering over a damaged nuclear reactor ahead of an approaching powerful typhoon, an energy company spokesman said.

Typhoon Ma-on -- currently a "Large" and "Very Strong" storm, according to the Japan Meteorological Agency -- should strike Japan well south of the damaged no. 3 reactor at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant.

But the Tokyo Power Company, which is responsible for the plant wracked by the March 11 tsunami that struck northeast Japan, is constructing a "roof-like structure to prevent rain from entering holes on the turbine building," said spokesman Satoshi Watanabe.
The energy company says it aims to complete construction late Monday.

Typhoon Ma-on is predicted to make landfall Tuesday, according to the country's meteorological agency.

http://www.cnn.com/2011/WORLD/asiapcf/07/18/japan.typhoon/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

 

[Milka]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/07/26/idUSL3E7IE3Z920110726

SPECIAL REPORT-Fukushima long ranked Japan's most hazardous nuclear plant

Japan's Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant ranked as one of the most dangerous in the world for radiation exposure years before it was destroyed by the meltdowns and explosions that followed the March 11 earthquake. For five years to 2008, the Fukushima plant was rated the most hazardous nuclear facility in Japan for worker exposure to radiation and one of the five worst nuclear plants in the world on that basis.

A lot more at link.

 

[Milka]

http://www.sacbee.com/2011/07/30/3805523/another-earthquake-jolts-northeastern.html

Another earthquake jolts northeastern Japan

NEW YORK -- The U.S. Geological Survey is reporting that another strong earthquake has jolted northeastern Japan, the same region struck by March's massive quake and tsunami. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage, and no tsunami warning is in effect.

The U.S.G.S. says the earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4 struck at 3:53 a.m. Sunday in the Pacific Ocean, about 11 miles (18 kilometers) east-southeast of Iwaki on Honshu Island. Its depth was 27 miles (43.5 kilometers).

U.S.G.S. says its epicenter is 114 miles (184 kilometers) northeast of Tokyo.

About 23,000 people died or were left missing across wide swaths of Japan's northeast coastline after the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Another 80,000 have been forced to evacuate their homes because of the radiation threat from the Fukushima Dai-ichi nuclear plant.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/artic...LP8WWK6JTSEJ01-5PIJEFGJ36KM50OK194CMKAJ22.DTL

Tepco Says Highest Radiation Detected at Fukushima Dai-Ichi

Aug. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Tokyo Electric Power Co., operator of Japan's crippled Fukushima Dai-Ichi nuclear plant, said it detected the highest radiation to date at the site.

Geiger counters, used to detect radioactivity, registered more than 10 sieverts an hour, the highest reading the devices are able to record, Junichi Matsumoto, a general manager at the utility, said today. The measurements were taken at the base of the main ventilation stack for reactors No. 1 and No. 2.

More at link.

 

[Milka]

http://www.zerohedge.com/news/highest-radiation-ever-detected-fukushima-10-sieverts-hour

Highest Radiation Ever Detected At Fukushima: 10+ Sieverts An Hour

Submitted by Tyler Durden on 08/01/2011 11:35 -0400

Remember all those idiots who claimed that Fukushima is contained, or better yet, the drama is exaggerated? Perhaps it is time to exile them all, starting with that moron from MIT, to Fukushima where the radiation measured at the base of the main ventilation stack just hit an all time high 10 sieverts/hour. The truth likely is much uglier: this is simply the highest reading the devices are able to record. In other words, there does not exist a device that can capture the true extent of the catastrophe at Fukushima!

From Bloomberg:

“I suspect the high radiation quantity was an aftermath of venting done,” Matsumoto told reporters in Tokyo. “The plant is not running. I don’t think any gas with high radiation level is flowing in the stack.”

Tepco sent three workers around the ventilation stack today after a gamma camera detected high radioactivity levels in the area yesterday, Matsumoto said. The workers were exposed to as much as 4 millisieverts during the work, he said.

The utility will create a no-go zone around the stack and cover the area with protective material, he said.

At least with Chernobyl, 5 months after the explosion it was pretty much well-known what the damage really is. In Japan, however, the ongoing attempt to hide everything from the general population, many of whom will pay for their government's lies with their lives, means that reality will only gradually be comprehended. By the time all is said and done, Japan's demographics will be far, far worse than even today. But who cares: that will be some other administration's (and unborn generation's) problem.

 

[Milka]

http://www.nuclearpowerdaily.com/reports/Greenpeace_urges_S_Africa_to_abandon_nuclear_plans_999.html

Greenpeace urges S. Africa to abandon nuclear plans
by Staff Writers
Johannesburg (AFP) Aug 4, 2011

Greenpeace urged South Africa Thursday to abandon its plans to expand nuclear power as part of its $127-billion scheme to overhaul the national energy supply.

"Nuclear energy is a dangerous distraction from the clean energy development needed to prevent catastrophic climate change," Kumi Naidoo, Greenpeace's global chief, said in a statement.

"Nuclear power simply delivers too little, too late, and at too high a price for the environment," he said.

South Africa should play a leading role "both in terms of its domestic energy choices, and by debunking false energy solutions to catastrophic climate change, such as nuclear," he added.

The country is expanding its overloaded power grid to meet growing demand and after crippling blackouts in 2008.

It plans to build 9,600 megawatts of new nuclear capacity in the next two decades, part of an 860-billion-rand ($127-billion, 89-billion-euro) scheme to more than double the national energy supply by adding a total of 50,000 megawatts.

It is also investing heavily in renewable energy, such as solar or wind-generated power, while also building the 4,800-megawatt Medupi coal-fired power plant, which will be the biggest coal plant in the world.

Naidoo called on energy minister Dipuo Peters to reconsider the role of nuclear energy in South Africa and put a moratorium on any new reactors at least until the safety implications of the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan have been fully evaluated.

The minister said in May however that the country would not abandon plans to scale up nuclear power despite the Fukushima plant meltdown.

The global spotlight is increasingly falling on South Africa's environmental policies as the country gears up to host the next major round of UN climate talks on November 28 to December 9 in the eastern port city of Durban.