Does Malaysia Should Have Its Own NPP? You decide!

Malaysia is already ready to handle with the preparation, safety and handling the Nuclear Power Plant (NPP). A few past decades ago, in the year 1985, Malaysia has sent several engineers to Australia to conduct a training in nuclear science. From the Chairman of the Atomic Energy Licensing Board Malaysia, Prof. Emeritus Datuk Dr. Nooramly Muslim stated that 95% of the nuclear science graduates (Degree, Masters and Ph.D) were currently working in a various sector. Their skills and knowledge gained from the experience will then be hired to support national planning to have NPP. The truth is, we are not delaying to apply nuclear energy as the new resource, but government is deciding to operate NPP in the year 2021. 10 - 15 years needed to train with high level skills before we operate the NPP. As we compared to our neighbor, Bangladesh, is always known as "backward countries" is also looking for NPP as their resource even faster than us! They have a lot of professional workers that working in a developed countries and they will come back to their hometown for their own nuclear industry which is expected to be completed in 2012. At what level is Malaysia now?

Malaysia is not new into this nuclear technology. Knowingly or not, Malaysia already has its own nuclear reactor, known as Reaktor Triga Puspati (RTP), began operations since 1982! For the purpose of research and development that focuses on medical, agricultural and neutron research as conducted by Nuclear Malaysia Agency. They are more than 40 professionals (Ph.D) as the backbone to moves this agency.

Somehow, Malaysian are so scared to have NPP in the country because of WEAK knowledge and exposure about the beauty of nuclear technology. China, the most largest coals producer also already have their own NPP. Did we realized that Japan, the country that was bombed (Hiroshima & Nagasaki) by the nuclear technology itself is also generating their electric resource by using nuclear technology? It was happened for a half century ago! Do we want to still "trauma" about the tragedy? We will let you think, and choose.

Lets have a look with our 2 largest and popular dams in Malaysia; Kenyir Dam and Temenggor Dam, we are still lagging far behind. Why?

Temenggor Dam	Kenyir Dam
4 Turbines	4 Turbines
Installed Capacity : 384 MW	Installed Capacity : 400 MW
Area : 152 km²	Area : 370 km²

NPP at Ikata, Japan.

As compared to the nuclear technology, for an example, lets choose Japan's NPP located in Ikata, Japan. It have 3 reactors, each reactor can operate at minimum electric capacity 566 MW and maximum capacity is 890 MW. Can you imagine how when all of these 3 reactors operates at one time? Maximum electric capacity can be generated is more than 2000 MW in one location only. Is it amazing? Yes, it is brilliantly amazing. Furthermore, this NPP in Ikata just took 18 km² which is only the same size with Bukit Bintang! Compared to our Temenggor and Kenyir Dam, forests as our national treasures have to be explored to build the dams.

Yes, in 2012 we are expected to see Bakun Dam to be operate, located in Sarawak. It have 8 turbines which is can generate 2400 MW electric capacity at one time. But, does we realized how much land it takes to build this "2400 MW"  dam? The answer is 695 km², which is approximately same with Singapore! Can you imagine where does all the greens gone?

Well, nuclear energy is a green technology. Its not like others greenhouse that emit CO2. Nuclear will not release its radioactive to the air as other power plant do by using coals or diesels. Hence, cost to operate this nuclear power will decrease as we not using those coals and fossil fuels. This things will give advantages to all Malaysian, when the electricity tariffs will be more cheaper, and its good to attract inventors into the country.

For the latest news, Malaysian government has stated that they are looking for 8 places to build NPP which is expected to start the construction in 2015 and will announced decisions in 2012. But the question is, where are these 8 places will be? KL? Selangor? Negeri Sembilan? Pahang? Perak? Sabah? Sarawak? We will leave it to you to discuss. (",)