• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.55 no.3
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• pp.908-918
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• 2023

The Saudi National Atomic Energy project aims to adopt peaceful nuclear technologies and be part of the country's energy mix. As emerging nuclear energy, it is essential to understand public concerns and acceptability of nuclear energy, as well as the factors influencing acceptance to develop nuclear energy policy and implement nuclear energy programs. The purpose of this study is to analyze the public attitudes and acceptance of nuclear energy among Saudi Arabian citizens by utilizing protection motivation theory and theory of planned behavior. A total of 1,404 participants answered a questionnaire which was distribute by convenience sampling approach. A Structural Equation Modeling framework was constructed and analyzed to understand public behavior toward building the country's first Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). Before analyzing the data, the model was validated. The research concluded that the benefits of nuclear power plants were essential in determining people's acceptance of NPPs. Surprisingly, the effect of the perceived benefits was found higher than the effect of the perceived risks to the acceptance. Furthermore, the public's participation in this study revealed that the NPPs location has a significant impact on their acceptance. Based on the finding, several policy implementations were suggested. Finally, the study's model results would benefit scholars, government agencies, and the business sector in Saudi Arabia and worldwide.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.49 no.5
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• pp.1090-1094
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• 2017

The determinants of the public's nuclear power acceptance have received considerable attention as decisive factors regarding nuclear power policy. However, the contingency of the relative importance of different determinants has been less explored. Building on the literature of psychological distance between the individual and the object, the present study demonstrates that the relative effects of different types of perceived risks regarding nuclear power generation differ across acceptance targets. Using a sample of Korea, our results show that, regarding national acceptance of nuclear power generation, perceived risk from nuclear power plants exerts a stronger negative effect than that from radioactive waste management; however, the latter exerts a stronger negative effect than the former on local acceptance of a nuclear power plant. This finding provides implications for efficient public communication strategy to raise nuclear power acceptance.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.54 no.3
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• pp.1115-1125
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• 2022

Nuclear power plant (NPP) is currently considered as one of the most reliable power sources. However, 182 of them are considered decommissioned and inactive including the one in Bataan, Philippines. The aim of this study was to investigate the acceptance of the reopening of Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) by integrating the Theory of Planned Behavior and Protection Motivation Theory. A total of 815 Filipinos answered an online questionnaire which consisted of 37 questions. The Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) indicated that knowledge towards nuclear power plants was the key factor in determining people's acceptance towards NPP reopening. In addition, knowing the benefits would lead to positive perceived behavioral control (PBC) and attitude towards intention. Results showed that PBC and attitude are mediators towards the acceptance of people regarding the reopening of BNPP. If an individual's knowledge gravitates towards the perceived risk, then this can lead to the negative acceptance of the NPP reopening. On the other hand, if an individual's knowledge gravitates towards the perceived benefits, then this will lead to positive acceptance. This study is the first study that explored the acceptance of the reopening BNPP. Finally, the study's model construct would also be very beneficial for researchers, government, and even private sectors worldwide.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers B
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• v.24 no.12
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• pp.1625-1634
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• 2000

Verification of measurements is required for precise evaluation of turbine cycle performance in nuclear power plant. We assumed that initial acceptance data and design data of the plant could provide correlation information between performance data. The data can be used as sample sets for the correct estimation model of measurement value. The modeling was done practically by using regression model based on plant design data, plant acceptance data and verified plant performance data of domestic nuclear power plant. We can construct more robust performance analysis system for an operation nuclear power plant with this validation scheme.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.56 no.8
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• pp.3224-3235
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• 2024

Amid the ongoing discourse on clean energy solutions, the reopening of decommissioned plants, such as the Bataan Nuclear Power Plant (BNPP) in the Philippines has become a focal point in the country. This study delved into the complex web of factors influencing public acceptance of BNPP, employing the values-beliefs-norms theory. By utilizing partial-least square structural equation modeling, the research unravelled the intricate relationships among biospheric values, altruistic values, egoistic values, ecological worldview, awareness of consequences, personal norm, social norm, and the broader acceptance of BNPP establishment. With 434 respondents participating in a self-administered online survey, the study identified key correlations. Emphasizing the collaborative impact on decision-making processes by social and personal norms, the study also highlighted the role of ecological values in shaping awareness. The foundational impact of values on ecological worldviews was explored, shedding light on public attitudes toward nuclear energy. This research offers actionable insights for policymakers, advocating for targeted communication strategies and public engagement initiatives to navigate barriers and promote informed decision-making in the dynamic landscape of nuclear energy development. The study contributes to the global conversation on sustainable energy strategies, emphasizing the pivotal role of public perception in shaping the trajectory of nuclear power.

• Journal of the Korean Society of Radiology
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• v.10 no.8
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• pp.583-590
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• 2016

The subjects in this study are the residents of Busan, analyzing the perception gap between the residents adjacent to the nuclear plant and living in town, about the lawsuit of thyroid cancer damage nearby the nuclear plant, to distinguish the citizen's acceptance level about the nuclear power. 551 people(269 people adjacent to nuclear plant, 282 people in town) were face-to-face surveyed and the result showed that people's perceptions of the nuclear power has changed after the thyroid cancer damage lawsuit. In the case of the residents adjacent to the nuclear plant, it became clear that the negative perception of nuclear power became stronger due to increasing distrust and anxiety about nuclear power after the lawsuit of thyroid cancer damage nearby the nuclear plant. On the other hand, people living in town showed their positive perceptions of nuclear power despite the thyroid cancer damage lawsuit. However, two-sided perception was shown compared to the acceptance of nuclear power, since the safety and reliability of the nuclear power was analyzed as negative perception. Therefore, for the constant increased use of nuclear power in the future, national understanding and credibility, including the communication with the nation or the residents in the neighboring area of nuclear power plant, will be necessary.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.33-44
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• 1995

Public acceptance has become an important factor in nuclear power program particularly after Chernobyl accident and recent rapid democratization in Korea. Methods reflecting public opinions in order to improve public acceptance are firstly to understand what the public think about nuclear power plant and secondly to find out the public preference values for its policies. For this purpose, simplified multi-attribute utility (MAU) model was applied to analyze the public perception pattern for fire power production systems. And the conjoint analysis was applied to find out the quantitative values of public preferences for twelve policy alternatives to improve the safety and to support communities surrounding nuclear power plants in Korea. To implement these perception and preference analyses, mail survey was conducted to the Qualified sample who had the experience of visiting nuclear power plant. Diagnosis of their perception pattern for five power production systems was made by the simplified MAU model. Estimation of the quantitative preference values for potential policy alternatives was made by the conjoint measurement technique, which made it possible to forecast the effectiveness of each option. The results from the qualified sample and the methods used in this study would be helpful to set up new policy of nuclear power plant.

• Nuclear Engineering and Technology
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• v.50 no.3
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• pp.494-503
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• 2018

As public acceptance of nuclear energy in Korea worsens due to the Fukushima accident and the earthquakes that occurred in the Gyeongju area near the Wolsong nuclear power plant (NPP), estimating the effects of earthquakes has become more essential for the nuclear industry. Currently, most countermeasures against earthquakes are limited to large-scale disasters. Minor-scale earthquakes used to be ignored. Even though people do not feel the shaking due to minor earthquakes and minor earthquakes incur little damage to NPPs, they can change the environmental conditions, for instance, underground water level and the conductivity of the groundwater. This study conducted a questionnaire survey of residents living in the vicinity of an NPP to determine their perception and acceptance of plant safety against minor earthquakes. The results show that the residents feel earthquakes at levels that can be felt by people, but incur little damage to NPPs, as minor earthquakes (magnitude of 2.0-3.9) and set this level as a standard for countermeasures. Even if a minor earthquake has little impact on the safety of an NPP, there is still a possibility that public opinion will get worse. This study provides analysis results about problems of earthquake measures of Korean NPPs and specific things that can bring about an effect of deterioration of public acceptance. Based on these data, this article suggests that active management of minor earthquakes is necessary for the sustainability of nuclear energy.

• Environmental and Resource Economics Review
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• v.27 no.1
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• pp.139-160
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• 2018

Using survey data of selected 1,349 individuals nationwide in Korea, we measure the influencing factors for the acceptance of nuclear power and estimates the probability of acceptance under several scenarios with different percentages of monetary compensation. Results of panel probit demonstrate that nuclear risk aversion tendency was found to be higher in case of female, younger age, past experience of extreme event such as an earthquake. However, the residents' residency nearby the nuclear power plant was not related to the risk-aversion tendency. In addition, we found that the nuclear acceptance is improved when the monetary compensation rate is increased. Although the policy demand intended to reduce GHG emissions in South Korea, the expansion of nuclear power is not be easy due to the occurrence of recent strong earthquakes because the risk attitude of an individual is influenced by subjective assessments formed through direct and indirect experiences of natural disasters such as an earthquake. Our results suggest that the opposition to construction of nuclear power plant is expected to be further intensified especially when combined with the experiences of threatening earthquakes. As a result, the debate and policy conflicts of nuclear power plants will consistently continue and large social costs are apparent for the acceptance of nuclear power plant.

• The Journal of the Korea Contents Association
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• v.15 no.7
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• pp.578-590
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• 2015

This paper investigated how high school students perceive on nuclear power applying semantic network analysis. The total number of 250 high school students in 6 metropolitan areas responded to the survey. Results indicate that the word which most frequently appeared is 'Nuclear plant' (87 times) following by 'Japan' (71 times), 'Danger'(59 times), 'Fukushima' (59 times), 'Radioactivity' (56 times), 'Energy' (47 times), 'Youngkwang' (37 times), 'Electricity' (30times), 'Chernobyl' (29 times), 'Explosion' (25 times). For students in higher acceptance level of nuclear 'Radioactivity' (25 times) was most frequently showed up following by 'Fukushima' (23 times), 'Energy' (21 times), 'Japan' (21 times), Nuclear plant' (20 times), 'Danger' (17 times), 'Youngkwang' (16 times). For student in lower acceptance level of nuclear, the word of 'Nuclear plant' (40 times) most frequently appeared following by 'Japan' (31 times)', 'Danger' (29 times), 'Fukushima' (23 times), 'Radioactivity' (17 times), 'Energy' (16 times), 'Youngkwang' (16 times), 'Chernobyl' (15 times).