Nations react but change in plans unlikely
By Chen Li |
March 18, 2011, Friday
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Print Edition
Print Edition
CHINA is not the only country where nuclear power safety and risks have been pushed to the forefront of a nuclear debate in the wake of the Japan disaster. The following is a synopsis of how other countries have reacted to the crisis of the past week.
US: The White House said US President Barack Obama remains committed to nuclear energy. The US currently has 104 nuclear reactors in operation, with four to eight on the drawing board. Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the Senate's Homeland Security Committee, said on Sunday that the US should "put the brakes on" new power plants until the impact of the incident in Japan becomes clear.
European Union: At the request of Austria, the European Union held an emergency meeting of nuclear safety authorities and operators this week and urged member countries to "re-think their future nuclear strategies." Gunther Oettinger, the EU energy commissioner, said there was a voluntary agreement to carry out stress tests on all EU nuclear plants.
Germany: Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she would suspend her coalition government's agreement to delay the closing the nation's aging nuclear power stations.
France: The country's Green Party had demanded that President Nicolas Sarkozy begin a review of the nation's nuclear policy. But France is not expected to pull the plug on its flagship nuclear industry, one of France's key exporters. The country relies on nuclear power for 80 percent of its energy needs and is home to Areva, the world's largest supplier of nuclear technology.
Italy: The Italian government said it will stick to its nuclear energy program despite the Japanese disaster. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he wants nuclear power plants to provide up to 25 percent of the country's electricity in the future. Italy is also a country prone to earthquakes. The country is now the only one in the Group of Eight nations without an operating nuclear power plant.
Britain: Chris Huhne, Britain's secretary of state for energy, has admitted that the investment required for the country's ambitious nuclear power program may be hit by the crisis in Japan. He was referring to the appetite of private investors for nuclear power stations. Huhne has asked the British nuclear regulator for a full report on the Japanese disaster. Britain has plans for up to 16 gigawatts of new nuclear power capacity.
Turkey: Turkey's energy minister Taner Yildiz said on Monday that his country, despite its quake-prone geology, will press ahead with original plans for two nuclear plants, including one that may use Japanese technology. Turkey is seeking to get 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2030.
India: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his country will review safety at all of its 20 nuclear reactors, two of which have the same design as the troubled Japanese ones.
US: The White House said US President Barack Obama remains committed to nuclear energy. The US currently has 104 nuclear reactors in operation, with four to eight on the drawing board. Senator Joe Lieberman, who chairs the Senate's Homeland Security Committee, said on Sunday that the US should "put the brakes on" new power plants until the impact of the incident in Japan becomes clear.
European Union: At the request of Austria, the European Union held an emergency meeting of nuclear safety authorities and operators this week and urged member countries to "re-think their future nuclear strategies." Gunther Oettinger, the EU energy commissioner, said there was a voluntary agreement to carry out stress tests on all EU nuclear plants.
Germany: Chancellor Angela Merkel announced on Monday that she would suspend her coalition government's agreement to delay the closing the nation's aging nuclear power stations.
France: The country's Green Party had demanded that President Nicolas Sarkozy begin a review of the nation's nuclear policy. But France is not expected to pull the plug on its flagship nuclear industry, one of France's key exporters. The country relies on nuclear power for 80 percent of its energy needs and is home to Areva, the world's largest supplier of nuclear technology.
Italy: The Italian government said it will stick to its nuclear energy program despite the Japanese disaster. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said he wants nuclear power plants to provide up to 25 percent of the country's electricity in the future. Italy is also a country prone to earthquakes. The country is now the only one in the Group of Eight nations without an operating nuclear power plant.
Britain: Chris Huhne, Britain's secretary of state for energy, has admitted that the investment required for the country's ambitious nuclear power program may be hit by the crisis in Japan. He was referring to the appetite of private investors for nuclear power stations. Huhne has asked the British nuclear regulator for a full report on the Japanese disaster. Britain has plans for up to 16 gigawatts of new nuclear power capacity.
Turkey: Turkey's energy minister Taner Yildiz said on Monday that his country, despite its quake-prone geology, will press ahead with original plans for two nuclear plants, including one that may use Japanese technology. Turkey is seeking to get 20 percent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2030.
India: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said his country will review safety at all of its 20 nuclear reactors, two of which have the same design as the troubled Japanese ones.
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