GCC may build nuclear plants for energy
Posted on : Wed, 07 Feb 2007 16:49:02 GMT | Author : Energy
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News Category : Energy (Environment)
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ABU DHABI, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 7 A group of six Persian
Gulf countries will start building nuclear power plants by 2009 to cover
energy demand as oil and natural gas supplies decrease.
A top official of the Gulf Cooperation Council said Tuesday
the countries will look to nuclear energy as a sustainable and clean
energy source, Gulf News reports. Oil and gas reserves will be exhausted
sooner or later; 70 or 100 years is a long time for us, but not for our
nations, said Abdullah Hamad Al Attiyah, deputy prime minister and
minister of energy and industry of Qatar, during a meeting in Abu Dhabi.
GCC members also include the United Arab Emirates, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia,
Oman and Kuwait.
We will appoint an international consultancy firm, and within
two years we will start our nuclear energy programs if the GCC governments
approve it, Attiyah said. Members of the GCC announced at a summit last
year in Riyadh they'd look to nuclear power to cover needs.
The move comes against the backdrop of the debate over Iran's
nuclear program. Tehran maintains it is for energy purposes but a U.S.-led
coalition accuses it of having military aims.
The GCC program, which will be discussed in more detail next
week, will probably not include uranium enrichment. Enriching uranium
produces both fuel for nuclear energy and, depending on the extent of
enrichment, materials for weapons.
Iran is refusing to end enrichment, saying it has a right to
fuel its nuclear plants itself.
Attiyah said he has plans to meet with the International
Atomic Energy Agency to talk about the GCC program.
Copyright 2007 by UPI
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