Nuclear Power in Australia: A Viable Alternative or Not.

Did you know that replacing Australia’s coal plants with nuclear ones could cost $387 billion¹? This info comes from Energy Minister Chris Bowen. Australia has a lot of uranium but hasn’t used nuclear power. This is because it’s very pricey, faces regulatory issues, and not everyone is in favor.

Renewable sources, like solar and wind, are cheaper and quicker. By 2030, Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) might cost $18,167 per kilowatt. In comparison, solar is $1,058/kW and onshore wind is $1,989/kW¹. Right now, over a third of Australia’s power comes from renewables. The goal is to hit 82% renewable energy by 2030.

The UK, US, France, and Canada use nuclear power to decrease emissions and costs¹. This leads some to wonder if Australia should do the same. But building nuclear plants is expensive and takes a long time. The Hinkley Point C in England, for example, started at $35 billion but might reach $88 billion due to delays². These high costs and the need for large subsidies from taxpayers make nuclear power a hard choice for Australia.

Key Takeaways

• It would cost $387 billion to replace Australia’s coal-fired power stations with nuclear power plants¹.
• Solar and wind energy are significantly cheaper, with costs per kilowatt considerably lower than Small Modular Reactors¹.
• Countries like the UK, the US, France, and Canada are using nuclear technologies to cut emissions and power prices¹.
• Nuclear power plants require significant initial investments and have longer construction times, increasing financial risks².
• Renewable energy already constitutes over one-third of Australia’s electricity, with a target of 82% by 2030.

The Current State of Nuclear Power in Australia

Australia has been thinking about nuclear power for some time. However, it has not built any nuclear power stations yet. One main reason is that despite having lots of uranium to use and being a top producer, many people are unsure about nuclear energy³. We will look at the history, laws, and people’s thoughts about nuclear power in Australia.

Historical Perspective

Since the 1950s, Australia knew nuclear energy could be good. With so much uranium, it made sense to look into it. But, Australia still doesn’t have a nuclear power station anywhere. Decisions take a long time because of the many steps needed to start a nuclear project. Just starting one could take about 15 years⁴.

Legislative Barriers

Many laws make having a nuclear power plant difficult in Australia. Since 1998, the ARPANS Act has said no to building nuclear power plants. It also says no to building places to make nuclear fuel and other nuclear facilities⁵. The EPBC Act since 1999 has made it necessary to get big environmental approvals for nuclear plans. This is because they could affect the environment. Other laws in places like New South Wales and the Northern Territory are also strict. These laws stop uranium mining and say no to storing nuclear waste⁵. All these legal barriers make it tough to move to nuclear energy in Australia.

Public Opinion

Many people don’t agree on nuclear power in Australia. Some say it’s a good addition to our energy mix. They think it can help make electricity more steady and reliable, supporting other renewable energy sources. Others think it’s too risky and expensive. They want to keep laws that control nuclear power’s use³⁴. Talking with the community is key to moving forward with nuclear power plans in Australia.

Nuclear Power: Benefits and Drawbacks

The topic of nuclear power’s sustainability gets a lot of attention. It’s always a balance between its pros and cons.

Advantages

Nuclear energy is great because it has low greenhouse gas emissions. A nuclear power plant that makes 1,000 MW fits in just one square mile. In comparison, a wind farm at the same level needs 360 times more space. A solar farm needs 75 times more area. Nuclear energy helps meet about 10% of the world’s energy needs. And it works more than 93% of the time. This is better than wind or solar power⁶. This makes it key for meeting sustainable energy goals.

Disadvantages

But there are big risks with nuclear power. These include dangers from uranium mining. The issue of handling the waste is also major. The world now has 250,000 tonnes of highly dangerous nuclear waste. This waste has been piling up since the 1950s⁶. Big accidents, like at Chornobyl and Fukushima, show the very real dangers. Building new nuclear plants takes a long time, more than ten years, and costs a lot of money. These points add to the worries about nuclear power⁶.

Compared with Renewable Energy Sources

Compared to wind and solar, nuclear power has its downsides. These downsides include higher costs and longer build times. On the other hand, wind and solar sources are becoming cheaper and quicker to set up. They also have less impact on the environment. So, renewable energy looks like the better choice for the future⁷.

Economic Feasibility of Nuclear Power in Australia

Looking at nuclear power in Australia means checking costs and comparing them to renewables. This helps us see the money side of nuclear power and how it affects the economy.

Cost Analysis

Building a nuclear power plant is very expensive, about AU$27 billion for each GW⁸. It costs a lot to start nuclear projects. For Australia, the first nuclear power cost starts at US$10 billion and takes 15 years to start. Starting a nuclear power industry in Australia would need many years⁹.

Comparing Costs with Renewables

Nuclear power costs a lot to build and run compared to renewable energy. Take wind farms, they need around AU$7 billion for the same energy output. Australia aims to get most of its power from renewables by 2030 because they are cheaper⁹. So, nuclear power’s high start-up and clean-up costs, including waste management, make it a less attractive choice.

Funding and Investment Challenges

Nuclear power in Australia faces many money and investment problems. Globally, less money goes into nuclear energy today than before. This drop is from over 17% of global electricity to 9% in 2022⁸.

Plus, nuclear power’s costs over time worry investors. The cost of stopping and cleaning the plants, which might generate 25-30 tonnes of waste yearly, is high⁹.

The ban on nuclear power in Australia since 1998 also stops it from getting much investment⁸.

Technological Aspects of Nuclear Energy

Nuclear technology covers various reactor types. These include big, old designs and new ideas like SMRs and thorium reactors. The goal is to have better and safer ways to make nuclear energy.

Types of Nuclear Reactors

Many kinds of nuclear reactors work all over the world. The main types are pressurized water reactors and boiling water reactors. Pressurized water reactors are used the most worldwide¹⁰. They make about a third of the world’s electricity without adding to global warming¹⁰. Also, nuclear power creates roughly a quarter of the world’s electricity without hurting the environment much¹¹.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

SMRs are small nuclear reactors that could fix some big worries about nuclear power. They’re meant to be quicker and cheaper to build, partly because they could be made the same way every time. But so far, no SMRs have worked well enough to be big business. They cost a lot and don’t make as much power as they need to. This makes it hard for them to be used economically¹².

Thorium Reactors

Thorium reactors could be a new way to make nuclear energy, and they’re getting noticed in places like Australia. They might be safer and make less harmful waste than the reactors we have now. But, this type of reactor is still just a test and hasn’t been used a lot yet. Still, people in Australia and other places are very interested in these reactors. They hope it could be a better, safer way to power our world in the future.

1. Theoretical benefits include potential standardization and mass production.
2. Thorium reactors offer enhanced safety and reduced waste.
3. Innovative advanced reactors may be under construction by 2030¹⁰.
4. Globally, nuclear reactors generate around 11% of electricity¹⁰.

Environmental and Safety Concerns

Many people in Australia worry about nuclear power’s effects on safety and the environment. They are concerned about how we manage nuclear waste, the safety of nuclear power, and if it affects our efforts to fight climate change.

Nuclear Waste Management

Folks are particularly worried about how we handle and store radioactive waste. There are two main types: low-level and high-level wastes. High-level waste, like spent nuclear fuel, is more radioactive than low-level waste. There is a debate over how best to store it. Some places keep it in pools of water, while others use dry containers¹³.

In the U.S., there is no permanent spot for high-level waste. This shows that dealing with nuclear waste is a big issue worldwide¹³. Figuring out how to dispose of nuclear waste safely is crucial for the future of nuclear power in Australia.

Safety Record of Nuclear Power

When it comes to safety, nuclear power has its pluses and minuses. Compared to the chemical industry, it has fewer accidents. U.S. reactors are built to resist weather and earthquakes, showing they are made to be safe¹³.

But, living near a nuclear plant might raise health concerns. A study in France found more child cancer cases near one plant from 1978 to 1998¹⁴. Research on leukemia rates near nuclear facilities suggests a slight increase too¹⁴. These findings highlight the need for very strict safety rules in Australia’s nuclear energy plans.

Impact on Climate Change Goals

Nuclear power’s role in helping fight climate change is a big topic. The good news is nuclear reactors don’t make much direct CO2, so they are better for the environment than burning fossil fuels¹³. When used wisely, nuclear energy can cut down a lot on greenhouse gases.

Despite being clean, nuclear power takes a long time to set up. This doesn’t match well with the quick action we need for the climate. Building things like solar panels and better ways to store electricity is a faster way to reduce CO2. But, balancing the risks of nuclear power with its benefits is tricky. We need to make a careful choice to meet our climate goals quickly.

Australia’s Path Forward: Renewable vs Nuclear

Australia is at a crossroads, debating between using more renewable energy or looking into nuclear power to reach net-zero emissions. Around the world, countries aim to hit net zero by 2050. Both major political parties in Australia agree that cutting carbon emissions is key15. The Labor Party plans to cut emissions by 43% by 2030 and to reach net zero by 2050¹⁵¹⁶.

The Coalition suggests adding nuclear power to the mix. They want to build seven nuclear plants where some coal plants are now. The idea is to make up for the 11 coal plants they plan to close in the next ten years¹⁷. Australia’s only current nuclear reactor has been running since 1958¹⁵. But, if new nuclear plants are built, they won’t start running until between 2035 and 2037. This could slow down efforts to cut emissions right away¹⁶.

Switching more to renewable energy might be a quicker way to lower emissions. Solar and wind energy projects are growing, but not fast enough because there are no clear nation-wide goals¹⁶. The Labor Party wants to speed this up by supporting renewable projects. They aim to make these projects a viable business quickly, which could help roll them out faster¹⁶.

On the other hand, the plan for nuclear power points to areas like Loy Yang in Victoria and Mount Piper in NSW. They want these new nuclear projects to be able to make just over 6 gigawatts of power¹⁷. But, recent studies show big renewable projects are often cheaper. Research from CSIRO and the Australian Energy Market Operator supports this¹⁶.

Because building nuclear power plants takes so long, it’s important to focus first on renewables that we can use now. There are still big challenges, like some states banning nuclear power. So, using both renewable and nuclear power options smartly might be Australia’s best move towards a clean energy future. It’s key to get the public on board, as their support is crucial for these energy plans to work¹⁶.

Final Thoughts

As Australia thinks about using nuclear power, important things need to be looked at. This includes if it makes financial sense if we have the technology, and what it does to the earth. In the past, nuclear power was a big part of making electricity. It made up 17% of the world’s power and 20% in the United States in 2002¹⁸. But the future shows it might not grow much more. By 2020, we might just have 5% more capacity, even though we could use 75% more power¹⁸.

Nuclear power can be good for money. The cost to run nuclear plants is not as much, and they can work for a long time. In the US, they can be used for up to 80 years¹⁹. Also, nuclear power is one of the safest ways to make energy, with very few people getting hurt. Websites like the Nuclear Debate look into this.

But, making new nuclear plants can cost a lot, from $1700 to $3100 for each kilowatt²⁰. There’s also the problem of what to do with the waste it makes. After 40 years, the waste can fill a football field about seven meters high¹⁹. For more on this, you can read a report like the one from Stanford.

In the end, Australia may not depend just on nuclear power for its future energy. It might be better to use a mix of renewable energy with some nuclear. This way, we can fight climate change and have power for the future. For detailed looks at the money and the tech, the MIT analysis is a good read.

Source Links

1. https://www.energymatters.com.au/renewable-news/is-nuclear-power-a-viable-option-for-australia/
2. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-17/nuclear-investment-case-coalition-reactors-viable/103978266
3. https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/nuclear-power-stations-are-not-appropriate-for-australia-and-probably-never-will-be/
4. https://www.csiro.au/en/news/All/Articles/2023/December/Nuclear-explainer
5. https://www.aph.gov.au/About_Parliament/Parliamentary_departments/Parliamentary_Library/pubs/rp/rp2324/Quick_Guides/NuclearActivitiesProhibitions
6. https://earth.org/the-advantages-and-disadvantages-of-nuclear-energy/
7. https://www.energy.gov/ne/articles/advantages-and-challenges-nuclear-energy
8. https://thediplomat.com/2024/03/how-feasible-is-nuclear-power-for-australia/
9. https://www.smh.com.au/politics/federal/is-nuclear-energy-feasible-in-australia-and-how-much-would-it-cost-20231004-p5e9qc.html
10. https://www.iaea.org/newscenter/news/what-is-nuclear-energy-the-science-of-nuclear-power
11. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/nuclear-power-in-the-world-today
12. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/non-power-nuclear-applications/overview/the-many-uses-of-nuclear-technology
13. https://www.eia.gov/energyexplained/nuclear/nuclear-power-and-the-environment.php
14. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4962241/
15. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2024/06/19/australia-nuclear-power-peter-dutton-renewable-energy/d23f9a1e-2df3-11ef-bcdf-31cdebd3022f_story.html
16. https://www.abc.net.au/news/2024-06-19/why-has-coalition-gone-nuclear-explainer/103997572
17. https://au.news.yahoo.com/duttons-nuclear-reactor-over-budget-173000609.html
18. https://web.mit.edu/nuclearpower/pdf/nuclearpower-ch1-3.pdf
19. https://world-nuclear.org/information-library/current-and-future-generation/the-nuclear-debate
20. http://large.stanford.edu/courses/2016/ph241/lsm1/