December 19, 2010
Energy Minister, Peter Chin's said that Malaysia is looking to build two 1,000 megawatt nuclear power plants by 2022 to counter an "imbalance" in its energy supplies. This is because we are heavily reliant on fossil
fuels for its electricity supply, with gas accounting for 64 percent of
Malaysia's total energy generation and the rest coming from coal.The nuclear plan has been attacked by environmental activists who say
the government has not thoroughly considered other forms of energy
generation such as solar, hydroelectric and wind power. Malaysia should be alert that the potential for renewable sources was limited. If we want to use the renewable sources we have to consider the high cost of the processes. This will lead to high tariffs that will be paid by citizens. "We want hydropower to assume a prominent role as it is clean, but this
can only be achieved in Sabah and Sarawak (on Borneo island) where there
is much potential -- but not in peninsular Malaysia" Chin's added. State energy firm Tenaga has said it could construct the first nuclear power plant at a cost of 3.1 billion dollars.
(Source: Bernama 19 December 2010)
March 15, 2011
Malaysia is taking note of the Japan nuclear crisis when implementing
its plan to build two nuclear power plants in the future, Deputy Prime
Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said today. He hat while the government is concerned about public safety and is
watching developments in Japan, he remained confident that Malaysia
would “implement what is the best” for the country. The deputy prime minister stressed that the government would learn from Japan to ensure public safety. “I think it is something which every country in the world is taking
note of, what is happening in Japan. There are many things that we can
learn but what is important is the safety of the country and the people. “In this matter, we have an agency that is responsible and they know
what they are doing and we are confident that they will implement what
is the best,” he told reporters during a press conference today. Energy, Green Technology and Water Minister Datuk Peter Chin had also
said that the “government will not do it secretly without informing the
public”. Chin added that the Malaysia Nuclear Power Corporation had opened a
tender to international consultants to conduct a study on the location,
suitability and safety of the location, type of technology and public
acceptance of the proposal. However, MCA president Datuk Seri Dr Chua Soi Lek yesterday had
called on the government to reconsider building a nuclear plant
following the explosions to nuclear reactors in Japan after the March 11
earthquake and tsunami that devastated the country. He said the government must re-evaluate nuclear power in the country.
(Source: The Malaysian Insider by Asrul Hadi Abdullah Sani)
June 29, 2011
Japan’s Fukushima nuclear reactor disaster has not deterred the
Malaysian government from continuing to pursue a nuclear energy plan. Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak said that the government was in the midst of analysing Malaysia’s suitability for nuclear energy. “We’re still studying nuclear energy as an option for the generation
of electricity, while taking into consideration the instability of the
Japanese nuclear reactor caused by a recent earthquake,” said Najib said
in a written response in Parliament. “The government is analysing short and long-term plans, taking into
account all infrastructural aspects recommended by the IAEA
(International Atomic Energy Agency).” He was responding to a question posed by Hee Loy Sian (PKR-PJ
Selatan) who asked if the government would abandon its plans to build a
nuclear reactor in light of the Fukushima disaster. In mid-March, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant was damaged
when an earthquake and subsequent tsunami rocked eastern Japan. Several nuclear reactors at the plant experienced a full meltdown,
which led the Japanese government to initiate massive evacuation and
cleanup efforts.
Nuclear plants by 2021
The cleanup efforts are still ongoing, with nuclear experts trying to contain the situation from deteriorating further. Several developed countries, including Switzerland and Germany, have
since announced plans to withdraw from using nuclear energy. Malaysia, however, appears to have no such reservations. Najib said
that many nuclear energy-using countries around the world were running
stress tests on their reactors in light of Fukushima. He said that Malaysia’s “relevant government agencies” would be
studying the stress tests on these reactors, and using them as studies
for considering nuclear energy in the country. He added that other studies, including looking into suitable reactor sites, were being considered. The government intends to build two 1,000-megawatt nuclear power
plants by 2021, under its Economic Transformation Programme (ETP).
(Source: Free Malaysia Today by Patrick Lee)
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