Parliamentary record : Part I debates (25 May 1988)
Debates for 5th Assembly 1987 - 1990; ParliamentNT; Parliamentary Record; 5th Assembly 1987 - 1990
1988-05-25
Made available by the Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
English
Debates
Northern Territory Legislative Assembly
Darwin
application/pdf
Attribution International 4.0 (CC BY 4.0)
Legislative Assembly of the Northern Territory
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/220343
https://hdl.handle.net/10070/699471
DEBATES - Wednesday 25 May 1988 followed suit. Hopefully, over a period of time, a few more of them will follow suit as well. I have gathered some information on the uranium industry and would like to record some of it in Hansard. We have heard often in the last few years that there are no markets for uranium and that everybody is turning away from building nuclear reactors because the world has supposedly come to its senses and decided that the nuclear industry is not a good one to be in. Of course, the facts demonstrate otherwise, but that is not what we are told by the greenies. I would like to read a couple of quotes from some Uranium Information Newsletters. The February 1988 issue said: According to the International Atomic Energy Authority Agency, nuclear power plants now generate approximately one-sixth of the world's electricity and, in 1986. produced some 1.5 trillion kW hours of electricity. up 8% from the previous year. The IAEA forecasts that world nuclear generating capacity will increase by 28% from 1986 to 1990, that is from 274 000 to 350 000 MWE and by 16% from 1990 to 1995. I quote from the March 1988 newsletter: According to preliminary data compiled by the International Atomic Energy Agency. 23 nuclear power reactors in 8 countries were newly connected to these countries' electricity grids in 1987. Mr Speaker. if one did not read pro-nuclear material - and I accept that that is what this material is - and simply listened to the media. one would be surprised to realise that 23 nuclear power reactors were commissioned and connected into power grids in 1987. These added slightly more than 23 000 MW of electricity to world generating capacity. This brought the total number of nuclear electricity plants worldwide to 417 and their combined generating capacity to almost 297 000 MW. Nuclear plants now operate in 26 different countries and account for more than 16% of total world electricity production. In some countries, nuclear power units are responsible for 50% to 70% of total electricity generated. Those countries which brought new units on to line in 1987 were: Bulgaria 1. Canada 1. France 4. Czechoslovakia 1, Hungary 1. Japan 1. Spain 1. United States 8 and Russia 5. Despite regular forecasts that nuclear power in the USA will not survive. the USA heads the list with 8 units brought on-line and an increase in nuclear electricity production for the year of approximately 10% over 1986. The atom produced about 17% of the nation's electricity in 1987 and continues to be the second-largest source after coal. Mr Speaker, I will not quote more from that newsletter although there is much interesting material in it for anyone who wishes to follow the nuclear debate. At least it dispels the myth that the nuclear industry in the world is in decline and is likely to go out of business over time. Clearly. that is not the case. Any rational person should consider the position of Japan. It is a tiny country with an enormous electricity consumption because of its manufacturing industry. It has a climate where you freeze to death if you do not have some form of energy in winter. Because it has virtually no natural energy 3321