(October 10, 1997) A study by the Canadian Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout shows that the proposed export of CANDU reactors to Turkey will have unacceptably high economic, environmental and ethical costs. Turkey is opening the bids from AECL and other reactor vendors on October 15, and is expected to choose a vendor in March 1998.
(479.4757) Nuclear Awareness Project -David Martin, research director for the Nuclear Awareness Project and author of the new study, 'The CANDU Syndrome: Canada's Bid to Export Nuclear Reactors to Turkey', notes that "just as the large-scale shutdown of nuclear power reactors has begun in Ontario, AECL is trying to sell the same failed technology to Turkey. If Canada cannot operate CANDUs safely after 30 years of experience, how can we expect Turkey to".
In December 1996, the Turkish state's electrical utility TEAS invited bids from foreign reactor vendors for the construction of a 100% financed nuclear power station to be built at Akkuyu Bay on Turkey's Mediterranean coast. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) is bidding to supply two to four 700 MW CANDU reactors in a two-unit or four-unit station.
Ironically, just as Canada was shutting down one-third of its own nuclear power reactors because of technological problems, AECL was trying to sell the same flawed technology to countries in the developing world. AECL's attempt to sell CANDU reactors to Turkey is a tragic mistake, and that even if successfully transacted, would have very high costs for the citizens of both Canada and Turkey.
Many observers believe that Ontario Hydro's August 1997 announcement of the shutdown of seven reactors heralded the beginning of the end of nuclear power in Canada. By March 1998, 10 of Ontario Hydro's CANDU reactors will be shut down, most having operated for only about one-half of their expected 40-year lifetimes. High cost, poor performance and endemic technical problems make it unlikely that they will ever be restarted. In 1996, CANDU performance was by far the worst of all major reactor types. In Canada, there have been no new reactor orders since 1978. The situation is similar in the United States, where the last uncancelled reactor order was placed in 1973.
There is strong grassroots opposition to the proposed Akkuyu Bay nuclear plant in Turkey where, as in Canada, citizens are fighting their government in order to promote a truly sustainable energy future based on efficiency and renewable energy. Unlike Canada, however, Turkey has the opportunity to avoid the disastrous mistake of building nuclear power plants in the first place.
Turkey has made four attempts to start a nuclear power program, beginning in the 1960s. AECL spent untold millions of dollars in an unsuccessful attempt to sell a CANDU reactor to Turkey in the mid-1980s. At that time, AECL was championed by the energy minister of the day, Jean Chr‚tien. AECL's bid was ultimately vetoed by the Canadian Cabinet of the day, because the financial risk was deemed unacceptable. Unfortunately, as Prime Minister, Chr‚tien has been in a position to force approval of AECL's bid to sell CANDU reactors to Turkey, despite the fact that the costs and risks are just as great, if not greater, than they were in the 1980s.
Source: Media Release Campaign for Nuclear Phaseout, 25 September 1997.
Contact in Canada: David Martin at: Nuclear Awareness Project, Box 104, Uxbridge, Ontario, Canada, L9P 1M6. Tel/Fax: +1-905- 852-0571.
E-mail: nucaware@web.net
Contact in Turkey: Melda Keskin, M.B.E. 109, Dolapdere cad. No: 283, 80240 Pangalti, Istanbul, Turkiye
Tel: +90-212-236 4238; Fax: +90-212-236 4215