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INTERVIEW-IAEA ex-boss Blix sees Asia sticking with nuclear

Wed, 6 Apr 2011 10:30 GMT

Source: reuters // Reuters

* Expects China, India to stay with atomic power

* Says it a "dream" to believe solar, wind can replace all

* Acknowledges more old reactors may shut after Japan crisis

(Removes extraneous word from first paragraph)

By Fredrik Dahl

VIENNA, April 6 (Reuters) - Former U.N. atomic energy chief Hans Blix expects major Asian economies to stick with nuclear power despite Japan's Fukushima disaster because they lack alternatives to secure energy independence and fight global warming.

"It is not the end of the road for nuclear power in the world," the former director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) told Reuters.

"The spring may come more slowly and to me that is a matter of regret," he said of a renaissance in nuclear power. "I'm more worried about global warming."

Blix, who now advises the United Arab Emirates on its nuclear energy programme, acknowledged that Japan's crisis had dealt a setback to the nuclear sector, just as it was seeing something of a revival after the 1986 Chernobyl disaster.

He suggested the numbers of nuclear power stations may decline in the next few years as more ageing reactors are phased out than new ones brought on stream.

But growth was then likely to resume, he said, calling it "a dream" to believe that wind and solar power could replace fossil fuel and nuclear energy sources.

"I think that the big ones will continue and that is, above all, the biggest Asians, namely China and India," Blix said. "They need enormous base load electricity and they will continue to look to nuclear." <^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^ Special Reports-TEPCO, supply chain, fiscal [ID:nL3E7EN0C6]

http://r.reuters.com/tec78r More stories on Fukushima disaster [nL3E7ER075] Picture, graphic packages: http://r.reuters.com/wyb58r ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^>

Countries in Europe and elsewhere have become more hesitant about atomic power in the wake of Japan's crisis, where engineers have been struggling for nearly four weeks to bring the situation at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant under control.

Germany and Switzerland say they will shut older reactors or suspend approvals, China has suspended approvals for new plants, and Taiwan is studying cutting nuclear output.

Before Japan's earthquake and tsunami, Beijing was bullish about the prospects of nuclear power in China, speeding through approvals for dozens of reactors along the coast as part of a wider plan to ease dependence on polluting fossil fuels.

There are currently about 440 nuclear reactors in the world -- the United States by far the biggest operator -- and scores of countries had been considering launching nuclear energy programmes before the Fukushima disaster struck.

Blix headed the IAEA from 1981-97. He is the chairman of the UAE's International Advisory Board, which oversees progress in the major oil exporter's plans to build four nuclear reactors.

"Nuclear power gives a strong element of energy independence," he said. "When you see the competition you have about gas pipelines from central Asia to Europe and China, you realise the importance of energy independence."

(Editing by Jason Neely)