Nuclear power will ‘worsen drought’

Austrlia’s crippling drought will worsen if the Howard government succeeds in its push for nuclear power, Queensland Premier Peter Beattie has told a conference.

Addressing the New Zealand Labour Party conference in Rotorua today, Mr Beattie said an independent study commissioned by the Queensland government showed a nuclear power station would use 25 per cent more water than a coal-fired power station.
Mr Beattie said a coal-fired power station produced up to 1,400 megawatts of electricity a year and used around 19,500 megalitres of water to condense and recycle steam.

He said a nuclear power station producing the same output would need about 25,000 megalitres.

“That is the equivalent of at least an additional 5,000 Olympic-size swimming pools a year,” Mr Beattie said.

Sunday Telegraph