Portugal Rejects Use of Nuclear Energy

Oct 23 - Xinhua News Agency - CEIS

Portugal rejects use of nuclear energy

LISBON, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- The Portuguese government has ruled out the use of nuclear energy as a measure to reduce the country's high dependency on petroleum, the Council of Ministers said Friday.

The use of nuclear energy and construction of a giant dam were "clearly" rejected by the Portuguese government.

The initiative was presented in a report drafted by the Ministry of Economic Activities and Labor to reduce the nation's oil dependency.

At Thursday's meeting, the cabinet analyzed the preliminary report which "makes a diagnosis and forecasts necessary alternatives" so as to reduce the country's dependence on oil fuel.

Portugal tries to reduce 20 percent of its dependency on oil by 2010 from the current 63 percent.

Portugal currently does not produce any nuclear energy. It is one of the most oil-dependent members of the European Union along with Spain and Greece.

Earlier Friday, the daily newspaper Publico reported that the government was still considering recommendations that it use nuclear energy and resume work on a large-scale dam at Foz Coa to reduce the nation's oil dependency.

The planned dam was abandoned in the 1990s after a pre-historic cave art was found in the region that would be submerge if it was built.