‘Nuclear Power An Economic Need Within 20 Years’

Press, Volume C, Issue 29662, 4 November 1961, Page 13

‘Nuclear Power An Economic Need Within 20 Years’

Within the next decade, or two, depending on the country's prosperity. there would probably be an economic need for a nuclear power station in the northern part of the North Island, said fro* lessor R. J. Rastrick, professor of mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury, who returned yesterday from a year’s refresher leave in Britain, Europe and North America. “You cannot transfer an unlimited amount of power from the South Island to the North unless you want to fill Cook Strait with cables,” he said. "It is unfortunate that heavy industries, such as the steel mill and the copper and aluminium extraction plant, are being established at Auckland and putting a heavier demand for power in that area.”

Britain led the world in nuclear power plants. Its in-

terest in the use of atomic power was necessary because it lacked coal, oil and water —natural resources for producing electric power. Efficiency Compared “Several new types of nuclear power plants have been built since the opening of Calder Hall. The improvement in efficiency in the coalfired, steam turbines caused a

lull in the development of nuclear plants, but the latest type, such as that at Skegness, has an efficiency (34 per cent) comparable with the coal-fired, super steamturbine plants (40 per cent.). ‘Two of the steam-driven turbines now being built will each produce 500,000 kilowatts—a total output approximately that now being produced from the power projects on the Waikato river," Professor Rastrick said.

He said the urgent need for more power was not peculiar to New Zealand and Britain, but was general in almost every country in Europe, Japan and Italy. Joint Project

An experimental type reactor for producing power was now being constructed in a joint effort by France. Germany, Belgium. Austria, Switzerland, Holland. Denmark, Sweden, Norway, and Britain. Scientists from every country were taking part in the experiment. Parts of the plant were being made in different countries, and the project. Euratron, was to cost about £l5 million. The reactor would operate at about 200 deg. R., compered with the 450 deg. of the ones operating in Britain. The experimental reactor would be suitable for producing a smaller output of power.

Nuclear power units were, comparatively, in the same stage of development as the Model T car was to modern cars, said Professor Rastrick. but he did not think nuclear power units would ever be used to drive small units such as cars. It did not seem feasible, at present, that the problem of waste products from nuclear fission would be solved so that nuclear power units could be used without heavy shields for public protection. "Although the plan has been to build nuclear power stations well away from the centres of population in Britain, the engineers are now happy about safety precautions and the stations could be built in the centres. ’The only worry, and it is a real one in Britain, is that in the event of a nuclear war a small bomb would destroy an atomic power sta-

tion and release the waste products. The problem of disposal of waste products is a real one in Britain and America. They are put down old mine workings in stainless steel cases. It will take about 500 years before they are harmless.” Professor Rastrick visited universities in Britain, Europe and North America, and also visited numerous industrial engineering plants. He was particularly impressed with the amount of research being done in engineering in Britain and the United States. “On the whole, I think that we in New Zeeland universities are doing reasonably well in engineering. I think the New Zealand engineering undergraduate compares very well with the undergraduate in Britain and the United States. I was pleased to see that, in research and other fields, we have been thinking along the lines being followed in Britain and the United States.”