Submission 235: Parliament of Australia Select Committee on Nuclear Energy Inquiry into Nuclear Power Generation in Australia

Abstract

This submission finds that ambient air temperature of the Australian continent has been rising steadily over the past 114 years. It finds that Australia has the highest per capita greenhouse gas emissions in the OECD and contributes 20 percent more GHGs that the entire population of the UK. A key method of reducing national GHG emissions is to find alternative methods to reduce emissions from fossil-fuelled based electricity generation.

To do that a suggestion has been made to construct small modular [nuclear] reactors (SMRs) to replace retiring coal fired electricity generation stations within the existing electricity generation, transmission and distribution system in Australia It looks at previous parliamentary inquiries into the alternative of using nuclear fuelled electricity power technology. It finds one of the key parties that has lodged submissions to the inquiries in favour of nuclear technology is involved in promoting and marketing and the impartiality of its opinion is severely compromised. However, that opinion has been heavily relied upon in the findings in favour of SMR installations in one parliamentary report.

It considers a statement made the Hon Peter Dutton in support to the concept of using small nuclear reactors in Australia by using the case of electricity prices in Ontario Canada and an interview with Prof Winfield of the York University, Ontario, Canada who refutes the economic, social and environmental wisdom of the concept.1 Winfield explains many of the pitfalls and dangers of substituting nuclear energy electricity generation particularly when renewable energy alternatives are available such as hydro-electricity installations in Canada.

The submission briefly considers Australia’s geotechnic environment and finds the considerable seismic activity present in the highly populated regions where Dutton proposes to substitute SMRs for coal fired power stations place inordinate risks on the security of the structural integrity of nuclear facilities in those locations.

Based on its findings, the submission concludes that the nuclear power option for Australia’s electricity generation be abandoned in favour of a broad range of non-polluting renewable energy sources.