Nuclear power the answer to high oil costs: French PM Paris (AFP) May 27, 2008 French Prime Minister Francois Fillon told parliament on Tuesday that boosting France's nuclear power sector was the answer to soaring oil costs. "We must continue to develop France's nuclear programme because that was the right reponse in 1970 and it remains the right response" to high energy costs, Fillon said. "We are not dealing with a crisis, we are dealing with a long-term increase of the price of oil." Fillon said developing nuclear energy was a "structural response", but that energy savings and investment in renewable energy -- on which France is shortly to adopt new legislation -- were also part of the solution. President Nicolas Sarkozy called earlier Tuesday for a cut in European oil taxes to help consumers as fishermen and truck drivers across the continent staged protests against soaring prices. The world's second producer of nuclear energy after the United States, France is vying to lead a worldwide revival of the industry, fuelled by worries about global warming and rising energy prices. Sarkozy has energetically promoted France's leadership in the field, signing civilian nuclear cooperation accords with Morocco, Algeria, Tunisia, Libya and the United Arab Emirates. During a visit to Japan last month, Fillon called for a joint French-Japanese drive at the Group of Eight most industrialised nations to promote civilian nuclear energy worldwide. Nuclear currently accounts for 87 percent of French electricity production, according to utilities giant Electricite de France. Construction work started late last year on France's 59th nuclear reactor, a so-called third generation reactor due to go into service in 2012 in Flamanville near the Channel coast. Community Email This Article Comment On This Article Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Civil Nuclear Energy Science, Technology and News Powering The World in the 21st Century at Energy-Daily.com
Nuclear energy best option for Gulf states: experts Dubai (AFP) May 27, 2008 Nuclear power rather than renewable sources like the wind or sun are the best option for oil-rich Gulf Arab states to meet growing energy demands, especially if produced collectively, say regional experts. |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2007 - SpaceDaily.AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |