Brown Says World Could Need 1,000 New Nuclear UnitNucNet Central Office; Rue de la Loi, 57; BE-1040 Brussels; Belgium
13 Jun (NucNet): The world could need as many as 1,000 new nuclear power in the next 40 years to meet climate change and energy requirements, Britain’s prime minister Gordon Brown said yesterday.
In a press conference at Downing Street Mr Brown said: “Expansion of nuclear will lessen our addiction on oil, and while I know there are nuclear protesters who object to any nuclear power, they need to know if they had their way, the resulting energy crisis would bring less security, more instability, faster climate change and more poverty.”
He pointed out that 16 of the 27 countries in the European Union have a nuclear programme and in most cases it is one that is expanding. The UK is committed to nuclear energy, he added. “If we can see the addiction to oil diminished by greater support for and investment in nuclear, in renewable and in other sources of energy, then people would see for the years to come that demand might not outstrip the supply that is available for oil.”
Mr Brown’s comments came as the environment secretary, Hilary Benn, outlined plans to offer communities incentives to provide a site for a proposed deep geological repository for the country’s long-lived radioactive waste.
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UK Unveils ‘Action Plan’ For New Nuclear (News No. 45, 12 June 2008)
UK Calls For Volunteer Communities For Deep Geological Repository (News No. 46, 12 June 2008)
Source: NucNet