What comes to your mind when you hear the word nuclear? Most likely atomic bombs, Chernobyl, Fukushima, nuclear leaks, radiation and all other horrors. Is it true that nuclear energy has such terrible risks compared to its benefits?

To reveal this, recently the Department of Physics, Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences (FMIPA) IPB University held the 60th IPB Physics Talk series by inviting Dr Ilham Variansyah, an Assistant Professor in the field of Nuclear Science Engineering at Oregon State University, USA.

Prof. Tony Sumaryada, Head of the Department of Physics at IPB University, expressed his deepest appreciation to Dr. Ilham Variansyah for sharing knowledge and insight regarding nuclear energy and its relationship to global climate change.

“It is hoped that real research collaboration between the Department of Physics, IPB University and leading global partners such as Oregon State University can continue to be fostered and developed for the progress of the nation,” he said.

At the beginning of the presentation, Dr Ilham explained the development of world energy consumption and its impact on rising global temperatures. He explained the comparison between reactions originating from fossil and nuclear fuels clearly.

“For one reaction, burning carbon as we use in fossil fuels produces 4 electron volts (eV) of energy accompanied by the release of one CO2 gas. “Meanwhile, one nuclear fission reaction produces 200 million eV of energy, and without the release of CO2 gas,” he explained.

He further explained that the energy density of nuclear reactions, which is 50 million times greater than fossil fuels without the impact of the greenhouse effect, should be a serious consideration for the use of this energy in the future to mitigate global climate change.

“A large energy density also means a smaller ecological footprint. The greater the energy produced, the smaller the waste from the need for other supporting raw materials. “Even the nuclear waste produced by all nuclear reactors in the USA can be compressed into a space the size of a football field,” said Dr Ilham.

He explained that nuclear waste itself is not actually pure waste, but is leftover nuclear fuel. With further treatment, the nuclear waste can be reused as reactor fuel again.

In addition, at the United Nation Climate Change Conference (COP 28) in December 2023 in Dubai, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) announced its determination to increase the world’s nuclear energy capacity threefold by 2050.

This quite drastic paradigm shift from world institutions regarding the use of nuclear energy must be responded to by all countries, including Indonesia. This is so that each country can be better prepared in developing nuclear power reactors in the future.

The issue of security for nuclear reactors has been an obstacle in the development and expansion of nuclear power reactor construction in various parts of the world. However, as technology develops, especially with the emergence of the latest fourth generation reactors which have passive safety systems, the nuclear reaction process will stop automatically without the need for external control from the operator. An example of this type of reactor is a High Temperature Gas-cooled Reactor (HTGR) with fuel in the form of small pellets (Pebble bed reactor).

Another issue is the possibility of misuse of power reactors for the development of nuclear weapons. Dr Ilham explained that nuclear power reactor technology is completely different from the technology for developing nuclear weapons, so these concerns are unfounded. The world nuclear energy agency (IAEA) is also known for having very strict controls on all of its member countries regarding the ownership and use of radioactive materials. (*/Rz)