MALAYSIA CAN START SMALL WITH NUCLEAR POWER PROGRAMME

KUALA LUMPUR, June 29 (Bernama) -- Malaysia's nuclear power programme can
start with a small nuclear power plant as a power demonstrator reactor before
larger and more cost-competitive plants are built, the Science, Technology and
Innovation Ministry said Monday.

"This was the approach taken by Japan, which started with a power
demonstration reactor generating only 13 megawatts of electricity from 1963 to
1982 before building 53 larger plants with capacities of between 340 and 1,300
megawatts," said deputy minister Fadillah Yusof.

"Despite being the only country in the world that has suffered the
devastating effects of nuclear radiation, nuclear energy now supplies almost 30
percent of Japan's total electricity requirements," Fadillah said.

He represented the minister Dr Maximus Ongkili in delivering the
opening keynote address at International Nuclear Conference 2009, which is being
held at the Putra World Trade Centre here from today until July 1.

Earlier this month, Prime Minister Najib Razak said Malaysia
was keen to emulate South Korea in developing a small-scale nuclear reactor for
power generation as it was more economical.

This, he said, was because South Korea had an edge over other countries in
terms of technology for small-scale nuclear reactors with 40 percent of the
country's power needs coming from various types of nuclear reactors.

Najib said the small-scale nuclear reactor was considered safe and could be
built next to an urban area that needed electric power.

It could generate between 200,000 and 300,000 kilowatts of energy, he said
during his first official visit to South Korea as prime minister.

Fadillah said efforts to support nuclear technology applications, especially
for nuclear electricity generation, required the relevant legal framework and
regulatory provisions to be further developed, including the streamlining of
licensing processes involving various regulatory agencies.

"Human capital development efforts should also be enhanced through the
establishment of appropriate academic and training programmes at the university
level as well as professional and sub-professional levels," he said.

International, regional and bilateral cooperation should also be expanded to
support these development initiatives, he added.

Another critical component is the research and development infrastructure
required to support the nuclear power programme, according to Fadillah.

For this, the infrastructure that has been developed by the Malaysian
Nuclear Agency should be expanded and used by all relevant agencies, including
academic institutions and industries, so as to avoid duplication of efforts, he
said.

"Even though nuclear technology is not indigenous to Malaysia, the necessary
capabilities can be developed, just as how the country once became the world’s
leading producer of rubber and palm oil even though these commodities were not
indigenous our country," Fadillah said.

-- BERNAMA