Energy minister says no to nuclear power

http://www.stuff.co.nz/
08 September 2006

The Government today shot down an electricity company's call for New Zealand to seriously consider nuclear power. Energy Minister David Parker said the electricity it produced would be far more expensive than available alternatives.

"And quite apart from that, the Labour government is committed to a nuclear-free policy," he said.

Murray Jackson, chief executive of Genesis, told a climate change conference yesterday that if New Zealand did not "get on board" with nuclear technology, it would not be ready when fusion reactors were available.

He said nuclear power was environmentally superior and was the only new sustainable energy resource so far available. By the time a new plant would have to be built in 20 years' time, technology would have improved.

Mr Parker, who is also responsible for the Government's climate change policy, disagreed on all counts.

"The advice I have is unambiguous – nuclear energy, quite apart from its environmental problems, is far more expensive for New Zealand than our alternatives," he said. "Even if he is right, and I don't think he is, the implication of that would be a very substantial rise in electricity prices."

Mr Parker said nuclear fusion to produce energy was still a dream. "It's not there. Billions of dollars have been spent internationally on fusion research and it's still a nut that hasn't been cracked," he said. "We have lots of choices which are technically feasible and cheaper."

In fusion, atomic nuclei are fused together to release energy, as opposed to fission – the technique used in existing nuclear power plants and atomic bombs – where nuclei are split.

Mr Jackson outlined to the Wellington Chamber of Commerce forum the ways 3000MW of increased generation could be acquired over the next 20 years. His suggestions included 1000MW from a nuclear power plant.

Other options included increased output from wind turbines, hydro, geothermal generation and high-efficiency coal. Mr Jackson said solar and wind power needed high subsidies to be competitive – and the wind blew only 35 per cent of the time.

New Zealand at least needed to maintain a skill base in terms of nuclear technology. "Nearly every developed country is now doing nuclear," he said.