Over 40 percent of Tongans live in poverty. (Source: Torsten Blackwood/AFP )
The island nation is currently looking at a small nuclear plant for an energy solution. However, it has fallen victim to scams in the past and additionally has been a haven for the terrorist group al-Qaeda in the Pacific. (Source: Fiji Vacations)
Most of Tonga's power is currently provided by expensive diesel fuel. (Source: preetamrai on Flickr)
Some officials skeptical of plan; nation's government has fallen for scams in the past
Even as the U.S. contemplates its own nuclear future, other countries around the world are looking to follow in the footsteps of clean nuclear pioneers like Japan and France. Among the most surprising potential new homes for nuclear power is the tiny Pacific island nation of Tonga [Google Maps].
Tonga's small kingdom consists of 186 islands spread out over 500 miles. The islands offer 289 sq. mi. of dry land (748 sq. km.) and are home to approximately 104,000 people. The islands are found to the northeast of New Zealand, approximately a third of the way to Hawaii. Tonga is unique in many respects -- it's the only Pacific island nation to have a monarchy and the only major group of islands in the South Pacific to avoid formal colonization.
According to Forbes, Tonga's monarch, King George Tupou V, announced to the nation's Parliament on Friday, June 11 that he was working with the U.S. to develop small 30-megawatt nuclear plants to satisfy the nation's power needs. King George stated, "Should this development prove successful, it would be of enormous value in protecting our environment and reducing our use of diesel fuel."
Tongans currently consume [PDF] between 10 MW of power at peak use (average yearly power consumption is approximately 47,000 MWh/yr, according to the CIA in 2006). Most of this power is produced by diesel generators. As shipping diesel fuel to the remote nation is expensive, power costs remain high.
The Tongan government last year proposed its "Tonga Energy Road Map", which called on 50 percent of Tongan power to be provided by renewable sources within three years. The plan did not include nuclear power. Currently Tonga only receives approximately 5 percent of its power from solar panel installations -- the other 95 percent still comes from diesel generation.
The plan could allow Tonga to solve its drinking water issues. Most of Tonga's current supply comes from underground and is polluted by fertilizers and pesticides. Nuclear power would allow for power-hungry desalination plants to operate. States King George, "The government maintains that nuclear power is our best hope of resolving our water problem as we can produce abundant supplies through desalination very cheaply. The quicker we move in this direction the better."
While Tonga is a close ally of the U.S., supporting the country's "Coalition of the Willing" during "Operation Iraqi Freedom", the U.S. government has offered no indication that it is helping with or approves of Tonga's plan. Some fear that if the government is relying on private entities in the U.S., it may be falling into a scam.
States New Zealand-based Molly Melhuish, "The only plants of that size are research reactors and it would probably be an old second hand one or alternatively, and even worse, an old ship reactor which are around that size. Both of those require very specialist fuel particularly ship reactors require highly enriched fuel, very expensive and very hard to handle."
Indeed, some in the government expressed surprise at or skepticism of the plan. One Parliament member, Clive Edwards, states, "We don’t know what’s happening. There’s been nothing come out from the government before on this issue, or any paper or proposal which we could refer to, to see how it’s to be done. So it’s a statement that’s out of the blue as far as I’m concerned and I don’t know what and how it’s intended to be done."
Indeed under the rule of King George's father King Taufa'ahau Tupou IV, who passed away in Sept. 2006, the nation reportedly lost millions on scams/risky investments, including reportedly $26M USD to Jesse Bogdonoff, a financial adviser who was officially appointed as the first Court Jester in modern history.
King George does seem quite different from his father, though. After being labeled as a playboy in his younger years, he has implemented a number of progressive reforms, including the creation democratic elections on the islands for the first time.
Even if the scheme proves successful it may prove to be a major concern to the U.S. Despite being our ally, the nation reportedly is a safe haven to al-Qaeda terrorists. Reportedly three ships of Tongan origin have been caught ferrying terrorists, weapons and explosives for al-Qaeda. This is pretty significant considering the CIA only believes Tonga to only have 62 major cargo ships.
The possibility of terrorists and nuclear materials in such close proximity certainly raises red flags. To the credit of the Tongan government, it does have a small 450-person military (some of which served with U.S. soldiers in Iraq). The military has several patrol ships and is armed largely with light arms like U.S. M4 carbines, U.S. M16s and Israeli Uzis.
But the nation needs an answer fast. Much of the nation's $728M USD GDP currently comes from citizens living in foreign nations. The island has no major industries, other than a minor tourism business, and also relies on international aid. Over 40 percent of Tongans live in poverty, according to The World Bank. And the nation's debt and unemployment have both been rising steadily over the last several years.
"There is a single light of science, and to brighten it anywhere is to brighten it everywhere." -- Isaac Asimov
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