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GREENPEACE Briefing
INTERNATIONAL NUCLEAR INDUSTRY AND THE AKKUYU TENDER
Potential dangers posed by earthquakes to nuclear installations were
recently highlighted by a Court decision in Germany WHICH CLOSED the
Muelheim-Kaerlich reactor because the EARTHQUAKE risk had not been properly
investigated, and had possibly BEEN underestimated.Yet the German
Government is now providing financial backing for Siemens in its bid to
build nuclear reactors at Akkuyu Bay DESPITE AN EVEN GREATER LACK OF
INFORMATION ABOUT SEISMIC RISK.
The AKKUYU SITE was LICENSED 22 YEARS AGO without extensive seismological,
geological and geophysical research about the Ecemis Fault Line. TEAS and
the consortia consider Ecemis inactive and THEY HAVE NOT RESPONDED TO the
findings of a recent study showing THE FAULT extends into the Mediterranean
only 20-25 km southeast of Akkuyu Bay.2
THE IAEA STATES THAT: "Of the extreme external hazards, seismic events
receive special attention owing to the extent to which they can jeopardize
safety. A nuclear power plant is protected against earthquakes in two ways:
BY SITING IT AWAY FROM AREAS OF ACTIVE FAULTING.. .".3
Kobe's devastating earthquake was unleashed by a break along a fault system
where NO LARGE EARTHQUAKE HAS STRUCK FOR AT LEAST A THOUSAND YEARS and
which SCIENTISTS HAD NOT CONSIDERED A MAJOR HAZARD." 4
In Japan, the reference reactor of the Westinghouse - Mitsubishi consortium
for Akkuyu, OHI-3 generates electricity for 7 cents/Kwh
(on the Japanese Islands practically every site is subject at any time to
earthquakes reaching a magnitude of 8.25 - 9.0 Richter) while the NPI bid
which is supposed to stand an earthquake of more than 8 Richter scale is
2.5 cents/kWh and the other 2 bids are both under 4cents/kWh! How can the
bids for Akkuyu be so low?
NUCLEAR CONSORTIA AND TEAS CANNOT FINALIZE THE TENDER WITHOUT DETAILED
SEISMOLOGICAL STUDIES OF THE SOUTHERN EXTENTION OF THE ECEMIS FAULT LINE
NEAR AKKUYU BAY, BOTH ON LAND AND AT THE SEA BOTTOM BY INDEPENDENT EXPERTS.
Greenpeace is calling on the Turkish Government to immediately suspend its
nuclear plans and on the western governments, who are financing the deal,
to immediately withdraw from the bid process.
For More information please call:
Melda Keskin, Greenpeace Mediterranean: ++90 212 2364238
or mobile ++90 532 3243204;
Ben Pearson, Greenpeace International: ++31 20 5249563.
1 The Risk of Earthquake Damage to Nuclear Power Plants in East and
Southeast Asia-A geological survey and evaluation, Dr. Eckhard Grimmel,
Institute of Geography University of Hamburg; January 1996.
2 Gokcen, S.L, Kelling, G., Ulug, A., Gokcen, N. & Ozel, E., "Neotectonic
Structural Features in the Alanya - Mersin Shelf Area (Southern Turkey)",
1991.
3 The IAEA's Safety Series, "Basic Safety Principles for Nuclear Power
Plants".
4 Earthquakes report: Minor fault, major disaster, Rosie Mestel,
Newscientist, vol. 145, no.1962, 28 Jan 1995.
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