Environmental group Green-peace has voiced concerns over plans by a group of investors to build a nuclear power plant in Suriname.
A Caribbean Net News (CNetNews) report quotes the international group as saying that Suriname has no expertise in nuclear power generation and that there are a number of other resources to generate energy. The group is also concerned over the type of nuclear reactor the investors have in mind.
In an interview with Radio Netherlands, Greenpeace’s radiation expert Rianne Teule argued that there are a number of unknown factors regarding the plans of Suriname Industrial Engineering and Vehicle Services to build the power plant. The Simplified Gas Cooled Reactor (SGR) is not widely used yet and there is very little international experience with this type of reactor. China is one of the few countries using this type of power facility.
Teule also said that the investment, said to be pegged at US$30 million, in the nuclear power plant could easily be invested in development of cleaner energy sources.
Greenpeace is also very concerned over the disposal of the nuclear waste, since it is a very costly operation but also one that carries enormous risks for the environment.
The United States is observing the developments in Suriname from a distance. “We are following the news reports closely but at this moment we have little information, so we can’t comment as yet,” embassy spokesman in Paramaribo Andy Utschig said.
Transportation of nuclear waste by sea is not an easy task and it is also unclear whether other Caricom countries would allow Suriname to ship nuclear waste through the Caribbean. Caricom has for years strongly opposed transportation of atomic waste through the region.
In a statement issued last Friday, Suriname’s Foreign Affairs Ministry said although it has been approached by investors with the idea to construct a nuclear power plant, “atomic energy to facilitate economic activities has not been on the agenda of the government yet”. The ministry also said the government has no policy yet regarding nuclear power and technology.
Last week Suriname’s Foreign Affairs Minister Lygia Kraag-Keteldijk said consultations were already underway with key stakeholders to determine whether the country was ready to become member of the UN’s International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). (Belize and Jamaica are the only Caricom nations that are members of the IAEA.) Suriname’s ambassador Jules Ramlakhan also said that the authorities had to look into different aspects, including defence, health and environmental issues in order to formulate a policy regarding nuclear energy and technology in Suriname.
Bisram Chanderbosh, President of Suriname’s Industrial Engineering and Vehicle Services, which developed the project, said construction of the facilities will take three years, with an investment of US$3M from investors in Suriname, the Netherlands, Great Britain and Germany.
He has also said the energy to be produced would be exclusively for industrial purposes and that nuclear fuel would be supplied by companies in Italy, Japan, South Africa, France and China.
The factory would be built at Groot Chatillon opposite Paranam, some 20 miles south of Paramaribo, where the Suriname Alumina Company (Suralco) has a refinery. Once in operation, the factory is expected to produce ingots (aluminium blocks), aluminium foil and high voltage wires.
The smelter will consist of several production units, each with a capacity of 250,000 tonnes a year. It is expected to create about 1,000 to 1,500 jobs. Added to that, with a ceramics factory and wood processing companies connected to the project, a work force of up to 3,000 would be necessary.
Investors have said alumina would be imported if necessary, but negotiations have already been held with Suralco and BHP Billiton to supply the alumina to the factory.
Suralco, which is owned by Alcoa World Alumina and Chemicals (a global alliance between Alcoa and Alumina Ltd) and Billiton are the two largest bauxite-mining companies in Suriname. Alcoa has had its presence in Suriname since 1916.
Suralco announced in February 2005 that it had completed the expansion of its aluminium refinery at Paranam. Suralco and an affiliate of BHP Billiton own 55% and 45% respectively of the Paranam facility.
