Asia
Going nuclear
Of 28 nuclear plants being constructed globally, 17 are in Asia. Gulf News.
Jul 17, 2007

By Abdullah Al Madani
In his recent survey, Professor Purnendra Jain, head of Asian Studies at Australia's Adelaide University, holds that many Asian countries are currently competing for nuclear status in a way not seen since the 1970s.

He supports his conclusion by reports suggesting that 17 of the 28 nuclear power plants under construction around the world are in Asia.

This is true. In addition to Asia's two giants, India and China, which are enhancing their nuclear-power generation capabilities, almost all other Asian states are either on the way to going nuclear or expressing their intention to have civilian nuclear programmes.

Vietnam, for example, has already decided to install two nuclear reactors in the coming decade.

Thailand is said to be conducting research for nuclear power with the apparent aim of having a plant operational by 2020.

Malaysia has hinted that it might consider the nuclear-energy option in the near future.

The South Korean government has already announced its decision to increase the number of nuclear power plants in the country.

And Japan, the world's third largest home to such plants after the United States and France, seems to be ready to increase its dependency on power generation from nuclear sources from the current 30 per cent to 40 per cent in the next 10 years.

The Japanese, however, are very careful in this regard, something that can be attributed to their fear of nuclear accidents similar to the one in their Tokaimura plant in 1999.

On the other hand, the Hong Kong authorities are under immense pressure to go nuclear by establishing their own nuclear power plants or benefiting from those across the border in mainland China.

This is aimed at improving the island's rapidly deteriorating air quality, caused by its long reliance on fossil fuel for electricity on the one hand and industrial pollution from mainland China on the other.

As Professor Jain correctly puts it, Hong Kong may lose its business to other Asian countries if this environmental problem is not quickly dealt with.

Enough uranium available

Focusing on the reasons behind this new nuclear race in the Far East, one can list numerous driving factors, including the rapidly growing demand for power due to economic and industrial expansion and the improvement of living standards; high oil prices in recent years; rising competition for natural resources; the danger of over-reliance on imported oil and gas for energy needs from the troubled Middle East; and pressure to use more environmentally-friendly energy.

Moreover, there is now enough uranium available to commence nuclear programmes and, unlike fossil fuel, it is cheap.

According to a report published in 2005 by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development, production of uranium recorded significant increases between 2003 and 2005 with 19 countries mining it, particularly Australia, Kazakhstan and Namibia.

The aforementioned justifications for going nuclear, however, have been met with severe criticism and opposition from various local organisations and political forces, despite the increasing support for cleaner and greener power-generation options.

Their argument often concentrates on the high costs and risks associated with nuclear power, citing the disastrous consequences of the 1979 accident at Three Mile Island in the US and the 1986 Chernobyl explosion in the former Soviet Union.

It also concentrates on the difficulty of ensuring that nuclear technology once obtained will not be used for purposes other than civilian.

Perhaps the case of Indonesia is the best example of the ongoing debate between pro and anti-nuclear option forces in Asia.

Indonesia - 2010

Having received a nod from the International Atomic Energy Agency for its civilian nuclear programmes, Indonesia is planning to start building its first nuclear power plant by 2010 and four other such plants by 2017 with the aim of producing at least 17 per cent of the country's power demand from untraditional sources.

It is reported that South Korea has already agreed to help Indonesia build these plants and provide fissile material and technology.

It is also reported that Australia, the holder of 40 per cent of world uranium deposits and the second-largest supplier of this commodity after Canada, has expressed its readiness to cooperate with Indonesia in this field under the 2006 bilateral security agreement.

While Jakarta maintains that its going nuclear policy is significantly important to ensure a steady supply power for more than 220 million people, overcome power-generation crises in the country's most populous island of Java, meet the potential threat of inadequate supplies of coal and natural gas, and protect the environment from harmful pollution caused by the massive use of fossil fuels, many individuals and groups including legislators hold a different opinion.

They argue that nuclear power plants are expensive and that they will be funded at the expense of money allocated for promoting education, health and housing. They also argue that Indonesia's knowledge base in the nuclear field is extremely low.

Their main concern, however, is about the risks associated with nuclear power such as radioactive waste, leak or accident, especially with fundamental Muslim groups targeting vital civilian installations and the country being prone to natural disasters including earthquakes and floods.

Dr Abdullah Al Madani is an academic researcher and lecturer on Asian affairs

http://www.gulfnews.com/opinion/columns/world/10137620.html