THREE PORTUGUESE business associations have shown themselves open to the idea of nuclear energy in Portugal.
The world energy crisis, which has particularly made Portugal vulnerable, has led the presidents of the country’s three main business associations, AEP, AIP and CIP, to unanimously support a series of measures that would help Portugal overcome its dependence on imported fuel sources.
One measure includes calling for the harmonisation of the Fuel Tax, Imposto sobre os Produtos Petrolíferos – ISP, on the entire Iberian Peninsular.
Another defends the evaluation of projects to site nuclear power stations in Portugal, albeit in a limited capacity.
The three associations, Associação Empresarial de Portugal, Associação Industrial Portuguesa and Confederação da Indústria Portuguesa, stressed that Portugal’s over-reliance on external fuel markets for its energy needs “distorted and penalised the competitiveness of its national companies, particularly with regards to Spain.”
“In the short term, we need to move forward towards harmonisation with regards to the ISP,” stated a join communiqué from the three associations.
The AEP, AIP and CIP also suggested suspending payment of ISP tax for three years for new projects involving bio diesel and bio ethanol and for the promotion and development of other types of competing fuels.
The three also say that “without a doubt it is necessary to evaluate the opportunities for nuclear energy production in Portugal.”
They also stated the opinion that despite considerable efforts made at a company and political level to explore and exploit renewable energy sources “these were not sufficient to satisfy all of the country’s energy requirements.”
“Nuclear energy, apart from being economically viable and not emitting CO2, would also contribute towards reducing the country’s economic dependency on other countries in terms of fuel importation and thus improve its commercial import-export balance,” they continued.
The three associations spoke of a need for both Spain and Portugal to coordinate a joint nuclear energy programme through Luso-Spanish consortiums working on common projects.
The associations also want to see greater competition in the electricity sectors as well as greater energy consumption efficiency on the part of industrial and transport companies and micro-companies.
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