The Star 14 Mar 11;
PETALING JAYA: The Environmental Protection Society Malaysia (EPSM) stressed that Malaysia does not need nuclear power plants, citing the explosion and radioactive leakage at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant in Japan as a warning.
Its president Nithi Nesadurai said the incident was one reason why Malaysia should not have nuclear power plants.
Pointing out that such a facility was vulnerable to earthquake, tsunami and floods, he said the idea of having nuclear power plants in the country should be rejected.
“We don’t even need it as there is surplus energy supply in Malaysia,” he said when contacted yesterday.
In Malaysia, there was more supply of energy than demand, he said, adding that it was the people who did not practise energy saving.
Fomca chief executive officer Datuk Paul Selva Raj said using nuclear power to generate energy was not a viable option in Malaysia now as it should be highly regulated for public safety.
“We need to be realistic about the energy approach and look at the whole energy equation. Each time a disaster happens, it indicates some risks (associated with energy options),” he said.
Paul said it was important to exploit more sources for energy that were safe, environmentally friendly and renewable.
In December last year, the Government announced plans to build two nuclear power plants that will generate 1,000 megawatts each with the first plant ready for operation in 2021 as part of an overall long-term plan to balance energy supply. The second plant was expected to be ready a year later.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation – the nuclear agency in the Prime Minister’s Department – would shed light on the impact of the explosion and radioactive leakage in Japan.
Govt to be transparent on nuke plant project
Minderjeet Kaur New Straits Times 13 Mar 11;
KUALA LUMPUR: The government will not rush to build nuclear plants in the country until all safety aspects and public feedback are considered.
Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Seri Peter Chin Fah Kui said yesterday there was still time to study everything as the first nuclear plant would not be built for at least 10 years.
"The government has ample time to look into the details, study and research."
Chin also gave his assurance that the government would be transparent in its planning, policies and implementation stages.
"I can assure everyone that the government will not keep any secrets. It will tell everything from the location, safety measures taken to the technology used for building and the processing at the plant."
Chin also said the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation under the Prime Minister's Department was in charge of setting up nuclear plants here, and that it was in the midst of calling for tenders and quotations from experts worldwide.
The experts in the nuclear field would be responsible to look into the Environmental Impact Assessment, location and the type of technology used to build the plant and process nuclear energy, he added.
Chin was speaking after launching the ministry's Green Community Carnival at Lake Titiwangsa.
He said the power plant would be built on a solid-rock foundation, which was not subjected to earth movement.
"It should also be built on a higher ground to avoid after-effects of tsunami and away from populated areas."
Chin was responding to concerns about possible radiation leaks in future Malaysian nuclear power plants brought on by a similar situation in Japan following Friday's massive earthquake and tsunami.
Malaysia plans to build two nuclear power plants to generate 1,000MW each, with the first plant expected to operate in 2021 and the second one a year later.
The plants will be part of the overall long-term plans to balance the country's energy supply.
The government aims to finish the project's evaluation by 2013 or 2014.
Chin said the Malaysian Nuclear Power Corporation would study the explosion in Fukushima prefecture in Japan and provide more information on its impact.
