Nuclear power mooted

Press, Volume CXI, Issue 32588, 23 April 1971, Page 3

Nuclear power mooted

(N.Z.PA. Staff Correspondent) LONDON, April 22. The Minister of Works and Electricity (Mr Allen) has said in Britain that he would have no hesitation in recommending the early adoption of nuclear power in New Zealand if no satisfactory price for Maui gas could be negotiated. After inspecting Britain’s most up-to-date nuclear power station at Dungeness, in Kent, Mr Allen said: “I’m not making any threats, I am talking hard economic facts.” , “The A-system at Dungeness which uses pure uranium is producing electricity at less than one old penny a unit, and the B-system using enriched uranium will soon be producing power at 0.6 of an old penny, which is extremely reasonable and very near to the cost of hyroelectric power. “If we can get a reasonable price for Maui gas, then

the need for nuclear power in New Zealand could be put back to the turn of the century.

“But if we can’t get a satisfactory price, then I will have no hesitation at all in recommending the early adoption of nuclear power,” he said. Systems compared Mr Allen said the Canadian system of nuclear power production, which he inspected at Toronto earlier this month, was also very economic. But whereas two years ago Canada Was very much in the front running to sell New Zealand a plant, the British had now caught up and probably were in front. , “One major advance made in Britain is that their nuclear power plants can be placed as close as five miles from a major city, in absolute safety,” Mr Allen said.

The Minister should not get carried away on his overseas trips, said the Deputy Leader of the Opposition (Mr Watt) in Wellington today.

“The Government has a responsibility to use New Zealand’s own coal and gas re-

sources to generate electricity before it starts talking about importing expensive nuclear fuel from overseas for the same purpose,” Mr Watt said. “We have immense natural resources here, and we should get on with the job and use them. It took the Government 11 years to bring the Kapuni gas field into production—it has to make a better job of Maui. “The need for a ministry of fuel and energy to bring all the necessary information together, so that the Ministers can be properly advised, and the country’s energy needs properly catered for, becomes even more apparent. It is regrettable that the Government consistently rejects the Labour Party’s proposals, and the N.D.C.’s recommendation to establish such a ministry,” Mr Watt said. Still talking There was still no indication when the gas price for the Maui field would be decided, said the chairman of Shell B.P. and Todd Oil Services, Ltd (Mr D. H. Tudhope). Discussions between the company and the Government were continuing.