Antinuclear

The Minerals Council, which will host the prime minister at its annual dinner in Canberra next Wednesday, has released a paper setting out the case for nuclear power. Nuclear power has relatively strong support among coalition MPs, but it remains a political hot potato and has been repeatedly ruled out by governments because of its cost.

The paper, Removing the Prohibition on Nuclear Power, by the Minerals Council’s Daniel Zavattiero says Australia is trying to build a reliable, affordable and low emissions electricity system with “one hand tied behind its back”.

Having been banned in 1998, the paper suggests the ban could be lifted with a single amendment to the Environment Protection and Biodiversity Conservation Act, removing four words – “a nuclear power plant”.

However, any projects would still have to meet stringent environmental and safety requirements.

Mr Zavattiero said a new generation of venture-capital backed nuclear start-ups are coming through, with designs for smaller reactors with significantly reduced up-front costs.

“Any objective science-based discussion devoid of hyperbole and emotion invariably finds that nuclear power is clean, economic and reliable, that it plays a vital role in the world today, will continue to do so in the future, and that it makes no sense for it to be banned in Australia,’ Vimy Resources chief Mike Young said.

A review of the electricity sector by chief scientist Alan Finkel found that while nuclear power had zero emissions “any development will require a significant amount of time to overcome social, legal, economic and technical barriers” and deal with the waste issue……..http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/turnbull-faces-new-push-for-nuclear-power/news-story/13f1fa010017160b8c72ebbf340e03ab