Nuclear plant in Malaysia: Public must approve nuclear power plant

The Star 23 Sep 10;

KUALA LUMPUR: It would be difficult for the Government to build a nuclear plant in Malaysia – unless there is public acceptance for such a project.

Tenaga Nasional Bhd (TNB) chief executive officer Datuk Seri Che Khalib Mohamad Noh said developed countries had started using nuclear energy and there was no reason why Malaysians could not be open about it.

He said the energy company has submitted a preliminary proposal, prepared together with the Malaysian Nuclear Agency and the Natural Resources and Energy Ministry, for the Government to consider.

“We are waiting for the Government to decide on the proposal,” he told reporters at a TNB Hari Raya open house here yesterday.

Che Khalib was asked to comment on plans to identify sites for the country’s first nuclear plant, as stated in the Economic Trans­formation Programme (ETP).

He said the Government hoped to build the first nuclear plant by 2021.

“That is an aggressive target or deadline and I hope Malaysians will support it because it takes a long time to realise the power plant,” he added.

Che Khalib said Malaysians should assess the building of nuclear power plant objectively in meeting the rising power needs of the country in future.

He said the demand for electricity had increased at a consistent rate of 6% to 8% each year and there was a demand for a new power plant.

“If we want to meet the demand by using current solutions such as gas and coal, I don’t think we can meet the demands by 2021,” he said.

Asked about the possibility of an increase in electricity tariffs in the coming months, Che Khalib said: “If there is no revision in gas prices, TNB will not revise the electricity price.”

He said Malaysians were fortunate that the US dollar had weakened and this had cushioned the impact of the rising price of coal. (Coal prices have been going up in the last two years.)

On whether the Government should reduce its stake in government-linked companies, such as TNB, as proposed in the ETP, he said it was in line with international practice and had also been carried out in Singapore previously.

“The Government has close to a 40% stake in TNB and TNB does not need to hold that many shares,” he said.