Nuclear Power Station Needed In 10-15 Years

Press, Volume CIII, Issue 30399, 25 March 1964, Page 18

Nuclear Power Station Needed In 10-15 Years

‘•The Press” Special Service

WELLINGTON, March 24.

Although there is no justification for a nuclear power station in New Zealand at present, it seems inevitable that one shall be needed in the North Island in the next 10 to 15 years, according to Mr G. Whittle, a senior lecturer in mechanical engineering at the University of Canterbury, who spoke on nuclear power developments to the New Zealand group of the Institute of Fuel in Wellington today.

“What New Zealand needs more than anything just now is a number of low-cost peak-load stations. The proposed gas turbine station using Taranaki natural gas should help in this direction,” Mr Whittle said. "There may also be possibilities for a gas turbine peak load station associated with the oil refinery at Whangarei. “Taking the long-term view, however, with power consumption doubling every nine years and the greatest expansion taking place around Auckland, it is fairly evident that in 10 to 15 years’ time there will be little possibility of further development of hydro-power. The next best alternative would be nuclear stations operating on base load,” Mr Whittle said. Delay Possible He said there seemed to be a possibility that this would be delayed because of the high overseas currency content in both capital and fuel costs. “While we have the breathing space New Zealand should be ‘learning the trade’ now. W’e should try to negotiate agreements with the Atomic

Energy Commissions in the United Kingdom, United States, Canada and Australia, whereby our scientists and engineers can be working with them now on the actual designing and operating of nuclear power stations. “This kind of liaison is done with the armed services and I see no reason why it should not be possible with the public utilities,” Mr Whittle said. He said he would like to see New Zealand establish a small section continuously keeping abreast of and evaluating nuclear power developments throughout the world. The Australian Atomic Energy Commission had such a group and it seemed probable to him that New Zealand would need nuclear power before Australia. Live Experience “By this means, when the time comes to make decisions, New Zealand will have a small body of scientists and engineers with real live experience in nuclear technology. He said there was no doubt the actual designing would be placed in the hands of consultants, but someone was going to have to evaluate their proposals. There might be as many as five or six different types of reactors available at that time.