Doel, Belgium, 1 July 2002 Greenpeace
activists today invaded a
nuclear power plant in Belgium as part of the Rainbow Warrior’s
Choose Positive Energy North Sea Tour. Forty volunteers entered the
Doel nuclear power plant in Belgium at 5:30 this morning. Ten
activists climbed the 170 meter cooling tower and unfolded a banner
reading "Stop nuclear power". At 9:00am Greenpeace's flagship, the
Rainbow Warrior II, anchored in the Scheld River, where the nuclear
power plant is located, just at the end of water pipelines taking water
for the cooling of the nuclear plant. Another 35 meter banner was
attached to the Rainbow Warrior reading "Go wind, Stop Nuclear".
Three 3 meter symbolic wind turbines have been attached to pylons
offshore near the nuclear plant as well. Greenpeace is demanding the
replacement of dirty electricity sources like nuclear power by renewable
energy sources.
The offshore wind potential in the North Sea is more than double the
total electricity production of the North Sea countries. According to
Greenpeace, it is all too clear that wind energy has a tremendous
potential, as proven by many studies (http://www.greenpeace.be).
Within one generation, offshore wind can provide one third of the
needs of countries bordering the North Sea: Denmark, Germany,
Belgium, United Kingdom, and the Netherlands. A recent study,
published on demand from the UK Prime Minister Tony Blair,
concludes that wind energy is actually cheaper than nuclear power.
“Nuclear power prevents the large-scale development of renewable
energy in many countries,” said Jan Van de Putte, head of the
Greenpeace energy campaign in Belgium. “Nuclear power benefits
from several advantages (limited liability in case of accident, subsidies
for research, free access to the grid) that actually form unfair
competition within the electricity market. Greenpeace, promoting a
large-scale development of renewables, wants to put an end to these
unacceptable privileges.”
The Belgian parliament will debate in coming weeks the draft law on a
nuclear phase-out which would limit the operating license for nuclear
reactors to a lifetime of 40 years, thereby forcing a closure of three
oldest reactors in 2015 and four of the second generation in 2025.
At the same time, Greenpeace urges the Belgium parliament and the
government to implement a real energy policy ensuring that the
alternatives be ready for the nuclear phase-out. Priority access should
be given to renewable energy and co-generation (combined heat and
power).
"The fact is that wind energy in now cheaper than nuclear," said Van de
Putte. "This means that along with co-generation and energy efficiency,
the alternative to nuclear energy is available. It also means that it
would be foolish to keep these dangerous reactors working for 23
years. Members of the Belgium parliament, about to vote on the law,
have to take their responsibility with respect to future generations and
put an end to the obstacles in the way of renewable energies."
In the lead up to the Earth Summit in Johannesburg in August, the
Rainbow Warrior is undertaking a “Choose Positive Energy Tour”
around the North Sea to support the development of renewable energy
around the world. Next month the Arctic Sunrise will begin the second
leg of the Choose Positive Energy tour in South East Asia. The ship
will be visiting the Philippines and Thailand where communities there
are rejecting dirty old-fashioned energy technology like coal fired
power stations, and demanding clean renewable energy to fill the
growing demand in the region.
This activity is part of Greenpeace’s Countdown to the Johannesburg
Earth Summit, August 26th to September 6th. Greenpeace is
campaigning for governments to take the lead in global sustainability,
and stop abdicating their responsibilities to corporations for protection
of the planet.
For more information:
Jan Vande Putte, Energy Campaigner, Greenpeace Belgium, +32 496
16 15 84
Tobias Muenchmeyer, Nuclear Campaigner, Greenpeace International,
+49 30 440 58 960
Gina Sanchez, Greenpeace Press Desk, ++31 627 00 00 64
Documents on the development of wind power can be found on
www.greenpeace.be, including a document comparing the cost of
wind power and the cost of nuclear power.
Photographs are available from Franca Michienzi at the Greenpeace
International Photo Desk on +31 20 5249 597
Video is available from Mim Lowe at the Greenpeace International
Video Desk on + 31 20 5249 543
