Preparing For Nuclear Power Stations

Press, Volume CVI, Issue 31115, 19 July 1966, Page 20

Preparing For Nuclear Power Stations

Steady progress in preparations for nuclear-f uelled power stations, the first of which is provisionally planned for the Auckland area by about 1977, is shown by the report of the Planning Committee on Electric Power Development tabled in Parliament by the Minister of Electricity, Mr Shand. “The siting sub-committee mentioned last year has continued to meet Anemometers at two sites on the Kaipara Harbour have been brought into service and sea-water temperatures have been measured in the harbour. The Navy is completing a programme of soundings near the two sites.

“An assessment of alternative sites is in preparation and, discussions have been held with most of the authorities concerned with various aspects of the siting of a nuclear power station. “The manpower sub-com-mittee has continued to meet. “At present, two senior engineers of the New Zealand Electricity Department are attending the Australian Atomic Energy Commission’s course on nuclear technology at Lucas Heights, near Sydney. It is intended that further officers will attend future courses as part of a continuing programme of manpower training. “Based on the recently published tender price of the Dungeness ‘B’ nuclear station in England, and including gas turbine plant to provide the peak capacity, a nuclear station capable of producing about 6500 million units a

year and a peak generation of about 1,500,000 kW would cost £137.000,000. “Taking into consideration the need to return fuel that had been used in the nuclear station to an overseas treatment plant, fuel for the nuclear plant would cost about £5,500,000 a year in overseas funds. As is the case with oil-fuelled plant, the initial nuclear station would require replacemenet after about 25 years, giving over a 50-year period a gross capital outlay of £274,000,000. Over the same period operating cost could reach a total of £42,000,000.