Refurbishing Atlantic Canada's only nuclear plant would offer no clear advantage over building a new fossil fuel-burning plant, according to a report released on Friday.

Dr. Robin Jeffrey, former chairman of British Energy, said in his report the cost of refurbishing the Point Lepreau, New Brunswick facility would be about $1.36 billion, not $935 million as NB Power has estimated.

NB Power, the provincial operator, wants to overhaul the 21-year-old plant that provides about 30 per cent of New Brunswick's power.

Power plant at Point Lepreau, N.B.

The utility has already spent about $70 million on the refurbishment, including $40 million for an assessment on what needs to be done.

Jeffrey, who makes no clear recommendation whether to refurbish or not, said it was, "a $1.4 billion decision."

He noted that a nuclear plant offered some advantages including better energy diversity and security, but added that refurbishing the facility should be compared with the cost of other options.

The province should seek competitive bids for building natural gas, coal and oil-fired plants, the report said.

According to the report, the province should also consider finding a partner with which to share the cost of operating and maintaining the power station.

Opposition politicians seized on the report and demanded the government abandon refurbishment plans.

But Bernard Lord, the Conservative provincial premier, said keeping the plant in production for another 30 years could help New Brunswick reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Lord said his government would decide what to do in the fall, reported The Canadian Press.

The plant, which went online in 1983 at a cost $1 billion higher than planned, is slated to operate until 2010. A refurbishment, intended to prolong its life by at least 25 years, would begin in 2008.

The process would involve shutting down Point Lepreau for at least 18 months and buying about $300 million worth of replacement power.