PM Lee rules out construction of reactors here
Loh Chee Kong Today Online 14 Dec 07;
UNLIKE for some of its larger neighbours, nuclear energy is not a feasible alternative energy option for land-scarce Singapore.
With this being the case, coupled with its lack of natural resources, the Republic's dependence on fossil fuels is unlikely to go away within the next decade.
Speaking to the Singapore media yesterday as he wrapped up his visit to the United Nations Climate Change Conference, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong ruled out the construction of nuclear reactors in Singapore — which require a safety radius of 30km — and cited solar power as a possible additional energy source, provided the cost continues to decline.
Said Mr Lee: "We could have solar power as a possible additional source of energy but that, in terms of percentage, will remain small for a very long time to come. The cost is coming down but it is still more expensive than fossil fuels, and will be so for probably five, 10 more years."
Acknowledging that nuclear power is a realistic option for larger countries, Mr Lee said Singapore "cannot say no in principle" to its neighbours turning to nuclear power. But adequate safety precautions, regimes and inspection measures should be in place.
Said Mr Lee: "There are safety concerns that affect not just the country and the neighbourhood where the nuclear power station is, but even its neighbours, because if something goes wrong, a lot of people downwind will be affected."
The fact that Singapore has its hands tied, in terms of alternative energy options, has to be taken into account in the negotiations for the new green framework that the Bali conference has initiated, stressed the Prime Minister.
The UN aims to draw up the agreement by 2009 to replace the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. Describing the deadline as "very challenging", Mr Lee said: "The actual discussions on what to do, how much to do, who to do it, I expect that to be very difficult … countries have very different perspectives and priorities."
After Australia became the latest country to ratify the Kyoto Protocol following Mr Kevin Rudd's election as Prime Minister, the United States remains the only major polluter yet to ratify the agreement. And while many have voiced their support for a binding agreement on reducing carbon emissions, the US is not budging.
Still, the situation could change after the US Presidential Elections next year, said Mr Lee, pointing to the case of Australia, where former Prime Minister John Howard was voted out partly for his refusal to ratify the Kyoto Protocol.
"Whoever comes in after (the elections) will have to review the position because as climate change becomes more obvious and severe, public attitudes will change and governments, particularly in the West, will have to respond," said Mr Lee.
There are already caps on carbon emissions in American states such as California and Massachusetts and sentiments are building up for a nationwide limit.
Said Mr Lee: "American major manufacturers are now starting to say, 'It doesn't make sense. If you are going to have caps, it's better to have a limit which is nationwide and then we can operate efficiently'… So, I don't see the US position as being the last word."
Mr Lee added that Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono had accepted his invitation to attend a retreat in Singapore next year. The two leaders will discuss the progress of the Special Economic Zones in Batam and Bintan.
