Submission to the Inquiry into Nuclear Power Generation in Australia

Nuclear power may be an option for Australia in the coming decades, potentially occupying a supportive niche, providing dispatchable power in a high-renewables grid. While not presupposing the suitability of nuclear power for Australia, ATSE suggests that all technology options should be considered as part of Australia’s urgent decarbonisation project. Nuclear energy should be weighed against the cost and benefits of competing and complementary forms of energy generation. Nuclear power can also be considered for specific use cases for industry, and for the low emissions energy mix beyond 2050.

ATSE makes the following recommendations to the Select Committee:

Recommendation 1: Accelerate the transition to net zero energy generation through low emissions electricity generation currently available to Australia.

Recommendation 2: Remove the legislated moratorium on nuclear power to allow the potential for a comprehensive analysis of viability.

Recommendation 3: If the government wishes to seriously consider nuclear power for Australia, it must first comprehensively investigate the financial, workforce, and engineering viability of a future nuclear industry.