Tuesday, Mar 29, 2011
(This item was originally published Monday.)
ABU DHABI (Zawya Dow Jones)--Oil-rich Kuwait's plans to study the introduction of atomic energy to its power sector have been delayed as the international consultants advising the Gulf Arab state assess safety concerns in light of an accident at nuclear power plants in Japan, an official said Monday.
"We came to the final report...after the Japan thing, I think it is a little bit on hold," said Suhaila Marafi, director of the department of studies and research at Kuwait's ministry of electricity and water.
The comments come as the world's worst nuclear crisis since the disaster at the Chernobyl power plant in Ukraine in 1986 is unfolding in Japan, which has been battling for more than two weeks to control radiation leaks at its heavily-damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant that was struck by a massive earthquake and tsunami on March 11.
Kuwait has hired L'Agence France Nucleaire International, or Afni, and U.S. company Lightbridge as consultants to advise on developing nuclear power, Marafi told MEED's Arabian Power & Water Summit in Abu Dhabi.
"They're both doing the feasibility study. It's not cancelled but they are reassessing the whole situation," Marafi said, adding that a meeting with the consultants was set for May.
"We are still studying feasibility. We are waiting for Japan's report," she said.
Saudi Arabia's deputy minister for electricity said at the same conference Monday the kingdom was still studying the feasibility of introducing nuclear power to its energy mix, but that it was in the early stages.
"There is no entirely safe energy source," Saleh Alawji told reporters on the sidelines.
-By Nour Malas, Dow Jones Newswires, +97150 2890223; nour.malas@dowjones.com
Copyright (c) 2011 Dow Jones & Co.
(END) Dow Jones Newswires
29-03-11 0351GMT
