Government told nuclear energy is only option

THE Government has been warned it faces an unmanageable energy crisis if Ireland fails to embrace nuclear technology in the near future.

Speaking at the Association for the Study of Peak Oil and Gas conference in Cork yesterday, Prof Pierre-Rene Bauquis of the French Petroleum Institute told the Irish Examiner that Ireland must devise a nuclear energy strategy if we are to ensure a steady supply of safe electricity in the long term. Prof Bauquis also said that, even if Ireland were to embark on the nuclear path now, it would be too late to avoid an energy crisis and urged something be done immediately to limit the scale of situation before it becomes “unmanageable”.

“Ireland has a very important decision to make and I think it should follow what small countries similar to them have done already, independent countries like Switzerland and Finland have two reactors working perfectly well and safe.”