Antinuclear

International trend away from nuclear – UK energy analyst

Should Australia consider a nuclear future? ABC Rural,  By Babs McHugh, 26 July 13  “…….Antony Froggat has been assessing at the world wide nuclear scene for over 20 years. The London energy analyst co-authors the annual Global Nuclear Status Report. He says that, in the wake of the Fukushima reactor meltdown in Japan two years ago, the use of nuclear has dropped from 17 per cent of world energy production to 10 per cent.

“If Australia were to move towards nuclear, it would be going against the international trend, which is that nuclear energy production is declining. “Only one country, the UAE, has started a new nuclear program within the last couple of decades.”

However, there are about 60 reactors being built around the world, with China, India and Korea forging ahead with construction. Mr Froggat says that’s not the complete story.

“China is the largest builder of nuclear power plants, it has 26 under construction. “But it is also the world’s largest builder of solar, the world’s largest builder of wind, the world’s largest builder of coal.

“It has a huge thirst for electricity. But in both India and China, more power is delivered by solar and wind than by nuclear.”The same is true in Germany and Japan, where renewables make a larger contribution than nuclear.”

And although Australia may look to nuclear for further reduction of CO2 emissions in possibly 20 to 30 years, Mr Froggart says the economics don’t stack up. “What we’re seeing is renewables becoming cheaper and cheaper and nuclear becoming more and more expensive.” http://www.abc.net.au/news/2013-07-25/australia-nuclear-future/4843498

July 26, 2013 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | Uncategorized