Question tor For Tan Sri Leo Moggie

Q: Is Malaysia really ready for nuclear power? The citizenry are concerned over the prospect of having a nuclear plant in their backyard and much of it has to do with trust, or lack of it. Amirul, Klang.

A: It would need a full article to give a satisfactory answer to this question.

Suffice to say there are compelling reasons to include nuclear power in our energy mix in the future. Gas and coal will be increasingly expensive. Coal will also face objections from environmentalists. Hydro power has its own challenges. Renewable energy attracts a lot of excitement but it can at best only complement conventional sources. Nuclear is clean. It is comparatively cheaper in the long run.

It is important to address public concerns openly, with reliable information. Many of these concerns are associated with the spectre of the Chernobyl accident in April 1986. Chernobyl should be put in perspective. The accident was the result of a flawed reactor design. The technology of reactor design has advanced since then and there has not been any incident of that nature since Chernobyl.

Because of concerns with climate change and global warming, there is now renewed worldwide interest in nuclear power. A total of 440 nuclear power plant reactors are now operating in 30 countries, which provides about 15% of the world's electricity. About 53 nuclear plants are under construction and will be commissioned in the next five years. There is expertise worldwide in plant design and safety, in managing spent fuel and in handling radioactive waste. Even some countries in the Middle East are looking at nuclear. The United Arab Emirates is now building one. Countries in our region are also looking at building nuclear power plants.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is always ready to offer advice to countries starting a nuclear power programme for the first time and I know our relevant government agencies are in touch with IAEA. There is in fact already some experience on nuclear technology in this country.

At TNB, a lot of preparatory work has been done in anticipation of developing a nuclear power plant. We have completed a desk study identifying potential sites. A preliminary feasibility study, in association with Korean Power Company was completed in June 2010. We have a Nuclear Energy Unit and are building up our staffing capacity.

While there is still much work to be done, to achieve the commissioning of the first unit in 2021, Malaysia is managing the process of deploying the use of nuclear power in a considered way, including getting public acceptance from an early stage.

Source: The Star