162 Nuclear Power Plant?

The construction of a residential area was, naturally, not a matter that could be settled in a word or two.

How many people and how many households were currently in Tuvalu—all these figures needed to be calculated precisely. Furthermore, projections had to be made for Tuvalu's future population growth.

The new Tuvalu of tomorrow would certainly house more than just a little over ten thousand people. Given the massive workforce required for the various industries Li Daniu had envisioned, where would all these people live?

Even more urgently, where would the construction workers from China Construction Engineering stay?

The number of personnel China Construction Engineering had currently deployed for the construction projects in the new Tuvalu was approaching ten thousand. And that was just for the airport, the docks, and projects like the power plant. The construction of the residential zones, and later the scenic areas and commercial districts, would require even more construction personnel to come to the new Tuvalu.

According to China Construction Engineering, they could temporarily mobilize around thirty thousand construction workers from China in the short term.

As for the first phase of Tuvalu's construction, the shortest estimated time required to basically complete it was nearly four years. For such a large number of people over a four-year period, were they expected to live in prefabricated mobile cabins or tents?

That was completely out of the question.

First, the quality of living conditions had a direct bearing on construction quality and project progress. Even people made of iron needed lubricating oil and maintenance, let alone creatures of flesh and blood.

Second, without fixed living quarters, how would domestic waste and the like be handled? The Auckland Islands possessed exceptionally rich natural resources and were designated by the United Nations as a world-class natural heritage site. If the natural environment were damaged, leaving aside the losses to the new Tuvalu, Li Daniu would have a very hard time answering to New Zealand.

Finally, the Auckland Islands were home to an abundance of wild species—countless sea birds, and even seals and penguins. If such a massive workforce could not be properly and centrally managed, it was inevitable that a small fraction of people would go out hunting or engage in similar activities during their time off. Punishing them would affect the morale of the construction workers, while failing to punish them would cause such behavior to run rampant and defy prohibition. Therefore, the issue had to be cut off at the source. Aside from ensuring an adequate food supply, there needed to be easily manageable residential settlements.

Setting aside how construction quality and progress would profoundly impact the development of the new Tuvalu, allowing the natural resources and wild species of the Auckland Islands to be damaged was a matter of extreme gravity.

These resources belonged inherently to Li Daniu and to the new Tuvalu; they were crucial assets for the future development of tourism and related industries in the new Tuvalu.

Moreover, although sovereignty over the Auckland Islands now rested with Li Daniu, complete with dozens of nautical miles of surrounding territorial waters, the New Zealand government still retained the right to monitor the natural resources of the Auckland Islands. These terms had been explicitly stipulated in the contract when the Auckland Islands were purchased.

Sustainable development and sound growth were completely acceptable. Even building an international airport, docks, or residential areas was entirely fine; sovereignty belonged to him, so he could do as he pleased.

However, there was one prerequisite: he had to take care to protect the natural resources of the Auckland Islands.

The stance of the New Zealand government was that this was a natural heritage belonging to the entire world, and therefore it could not be destroyed recklessly.

The reason Li Daniu had agreed to this condition was that he had never intended to destroy the natural resources of the Auckland Islands in the first place. In his view, these were the very foundation of his future tourism industry; how could he bear to ruin them?

Yet, if improper arrangements for the people of Tuvalu or the visiting workers from China Construction Engineering led to environmental damage, others would find a pretext to make trouble for him—such as issuing condemnations or exacting penalty fees for breach of contract.

"This residential area belongs to the citizens of Tuvalu. In addition, we must build a residential zone for foreign migrant workers. Naturally, this residential area cannot consist of luxury villa clusters; instead, we should build high-rise hotel-style apartments. Of course, the interior decoration standard can be appropriately simplified, but all essential amenities must be present. Overall, the style should be simple yet grand, so that anyone who arrives will be struck with admiration and feel an immediate desire to stay," Li Daniu continued.

"This place must cater not only to the construction workers from China Construction Engineering but also to the future staff working at the airport, docks, and nearby tourist attractions. Therefore, quality standards must be strictly enforced. As for the number of floors and the specific construction methods, you can make a direct determination after conducting on-site surveys."

"Understood," Conad replied, before raising another point. "There is another issue. Our New Tuvalu Construction Company is currently preparing to establish a cement plant, which is highly necessary. Furthermore, for basic materials like sand and timber, we cannot perpetually rely on imports. Not only would the costs be exorbitant, but it would also hamper project progress."

"Naturally." After affirming Conad's plan, Li Daniu instructed Burns, "Burns will be responsible for coordinating with the New Zealand side and United Nations environmental protection agencies on this matter. While some disruption is inevitable, we must minimize any damage to the natural resources of the new Tuvalu. You must remember, this is not about avoiding censure or paying fines, but for the sake of our own future. Trading environmental destruction for development opportunities is entirely unacceptable and represents an extremely short-sighted approach."

"Boss, you are completely right. During our initial development phase in Germany, we did not pay attention to natural environmental protection, and various industrial expansions led to severe pollution. This is a common malady shared by all countries worldwide. Only when one genuinely achieves sustainable development and truly values their nation's natural environment can they become a truly developed country!" Conad, who never flattered anyone, expressed that his words came entirely from the bottom of his heart.

Burns naturally concurred wholeheartedly with Li Daniu's perspective. Tuvalu's own resources were already exceedingly scarce, so they cherished everything they currently possessed all the more; how could they ever bear to destroy it?

After a moment of reflection, Conad spoke up. "Speaking of which, there is an issue the boss must consider in advance, and that is energy. The solar power, wind power, and even the tidal power we are about to begin constructing will be sufficient for the engineering phase in the short term, and even enough once all current residents of Tuvalu have relocated here. However, constrained by equipment and geographical conditions, the electricity supply will definitely not be enough for the future new Tuvalu you envision."

Li Daniu was not well-versed in the electrical sector, so he asked directly, "Then what are your recommendations?"

Gathering his thoughts, Conad replied, "Assuming we adhere to the boss's requirement of trying our best not to damage the natural environment as a prerequisite, the most reasonable and effective approach is to build a nuclear power plant."

"A nuclear power plant?" Burns exclaimed in shock. "Leaving aside the fact that we completely lack the relevant technology, even if we had it, it is extremely dangerous. Japan's nuclear power plant suffered a nuclear leak half a year ago, and the radiation remains severe to this day."

"That was simply because the Japanese technology did not meet the standards, which does not mean nuclear power plants are inherently dangerous. Based on current technology, nuclear power is an extremely safe and exceptionally clean energy source with very high efficiency. Countries like Germany, the United States, and China have already begun building mature and stable nuclear power plants, with plans to completely phase out conventional thermal power in the future. To date, the annual electricity generated by nuclear power plants worldwide already accounts for thirty-five percent of the global annual total."

After introducing the concept of nuclear power plants, Conad added, "Hydropower, wind power, and solar energy are indeed safer and cleaner than nuclear power plants, but their power generation efficiency is extremely low. If we rely solely on those technologies, the boss's new Tuvalu could very well fall into a predicament of electricity shortages. This is not a problem that can be resolved simply by adding more equipment, because the new Tuvalu does not possess the requisite natural conditions."

By this time, Li Daniu had already used the internet to search for information regarding nuclear power plants in this world. He then asked, "I see it written here that building a nuclear power plant requires a safety zone of two hundred square kilometers. Where on earth would we find an area that large?"

"We can build an offshore nuclear power plant. That way, such a vast land area won't be necessary. Currently, China is preparing to construct an offshore nuclear power plant," Conad suggested. "Of course, the technology involved is also crucial. I am merely offering my opinion, hoping the boss can make preparations early, because this is not something that can be sorted out in a couple of days."

Li Daniu felt that trying to set up a nuclear power plant in the new Tuvalu was even more difficult than acquiring cleaner and more efficient energy sources from a cinematic world. In this world, nations possessing nuclear technology were most guarded against others acquiring that same capability.

As for entrusting the construction to outsiders?

Li Daniu would certainly never feel at ease entrusting such a vital project to anyone else.