Blair hints reversal of Britain's nuclear energy policy

Blair hints reversal of Britain's nuclear energy policy

	Published : Wed, 30 Nov 2005 10:05 By : Amy Watts Print this Story

LONDON: Prime Minister Tony Blair hinted that Britain could reverse its policy not to build new nuclear power plants. He said the government would make a decision by next summer.

Addressing the Confederation of British Industry, the prime minister said there will be a policy review, which will include specifically the issues of whether the country can take up the development of a new generation of nuclear power stations.

Two Greenpeace demonstrators, who sneaked into the conference venue posing as delegates, prevented Blair from making his speech from the main conference hall. The organisers chose a side room for the prime minister to address the gathering.

The CBI found that the demonstrators had paid for delegate passes through a bogus company, entered the venue, and scaled the girders to reach the roof. The two were later arrested. CBI had originally issued two passes to Greenpeace delegates, but denied them permission to set up an exhibition stand.

Blair said countries including Britain will have to diversify into several sources of energy and he expected the Kyoto Protocol governing carbon emissions, which expires in 2012, will be followed by a binding international agreement.

He said, "Energy prices have risen. Energy supply is under threat. Climate change is producing a sense of urgency. The future is clean energy and nations will look to diversify out of energy dependence on one source."

He said Britain will have to decommission both its coal and nuclear plants in the next 15 years. These plants accounted for 30 per cent of today’s electricity supply. And some of these plants can be replaced by renewables, but not all.

Britain's energy minister Malcolm Wicks, who will head the review team, said the team will look at measures to speed up inquiries into whether new nuclear stations can be proposed. He said these would require private investment but would need "some special relationship between the market and the state in this area".

Wicks said viability of renewable energy will also be studied in detail, as also energy generated using coal, gas and new technologies. Even energy utilisation patterns by transportation sector as well as energy efficiency will be studied.

Blair was expected to speak on these lines as he wanted to have a debate on the country's energy needs and the options available. Britain had already taken a policy decision to explore renewable sources such as wind power to supply 10 per cent of the country's needs by 2010 and 20 per cent by 2020.

The country is facing an unprecedented energy crisis as its oil and gas reserves in its North Sea fields had diminished and it is now a net importer.

Those who opposed nuclear power generation say it is costly, dangerous and even vulnerable to threats of terrorists. There is the question of waste disposal. However, those who support nuclear energy say it a clear fuel and reduces emissions.

Blair's announcement is a major policy shift as the government had in a white paper on energy policy two years ago, said, "Current economics make it [nuclear power] an unattractive option for new, carbon-free generating capacity and there are also important issues of nuclear waste to be resolved." The government has now been forced to take a pragmatic approach in view of concerns over global warming and the country's energy security.

Most of Blair's cabinet colleagues are said to be open-minded about the nuclear option.