- Six Diligence 2010

Saturday, May 8, 2010 ; KL gives go-ahead for nuclear power plant

May 5, 2010
KL gives go-ahead for nuclear power plant

Energy ministry to look for suitable sites; plant slated to operate from 2021

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia could set up its first nuclear power plant in 10 to 15 years.

Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Peter Chin Fah Kui yesterday said that the government has approved the setting-up of a nuclear power plant, slated to start operating from 2021.

He declined to reveal where the first plant might be located, or the total power that could be delivered, but said that his ministry has been given the go-ahead by the Economic Council to start identifying suitable sites.

He added that the government might seek to obtain technology from South Korea, China, France or Japan.

'Building of the first plant needs a lead time of at least 10 years,' he said at an environment conference. 'We need to look at the safety aspects, human resources and the location.'

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Datuk Seri Chin added, has the final say on whether the plant could be built.

An aide to the minister, however, said that officials have yet to make a decision on whether to ask the IAEA for approval to build a plant.

Prime Minister Najib Razak also appeared to indicate that Malaysia's plans on nuclear power were not firmed up yet. He also gave a longer time frame.

The Prime Minister wrote in his blog yesterday that the government was studying the possible use of nuclear energy as an efficient and cost-effective means for electricity generation.

'If we press ahead with nuclear, 12 to 15 years could elapse before energy is produced using small reactors,' he wrote.

Malaysia has long debated over whether to turn to nuclear energy as an alternative to coal and natural gas, which most of its electricity supply comes from.

While fears remain over safety, the government has repeatedly warned that the cost of relying on both commodities is expected to spiral in the decades ahead.

Yesterday, Mr Chin stressed this point again.

'Nuclear energy is the only viable option towards our long-term energy needs,' he said. 'Our energy mix is rather unhealthy. We are depending too much on coal and oil.'

While nuclear plants involve high start-up costs, the minister said it was more cost- and energy-efficient than building more coal-fired power plants.

A nuclear power reactor typically costs S$3 billion to S$5 billion for each gigawatt of electrical generating capacity. Proponents of nuclear energy, however, say that it is cleaner and cheaper in the long run, and is a viable alternative to traditional sources of energy which are drying up.

Malaysia's state utility Tenaga had earlier said that it could build the country's first 1,000MW nuclear power plant at a cost of RM10 billion (S$4.3 billion).

Several South-east Asian countries have announced plans to build reactors in the next 10 to 15 years, including Thailand, Indonesia and Vietnam.

The Philippines is also looking at resurrecting the mothballed Bataan plant, which was built in 1986 but never started. Even Singapore has not ruled out turning to nuclear power.

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, ASSOCIATED PRESS

posted by Allan at 2:33 PM

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