Antinuclear

Nuclear power stations are expensive

Nuclear power stations are extremely expensive to build. For example, the Hinkley nuclear power station under construction in the UK will cost 20 billion pounds (AU$36 billion). Nuclear cannot compete on a cost basis with wind and solar, which are the cheapest forms of new generation. The cost of energy from the Hinkley Power station is significantly higher than large-scale solar, windand offshore wind energy in the UK.

On average, nuclear power stations take a decade to build

The Hinkley power station will take nine years to build. The global average is 9.4 years. This would be even longer in Australia given there is currently no nuclear industry here. It is not unusual for nuclear power stations to take over a decade between the start of approvals and coming online. For comparison, wind and solar farms take just one to three years.

Australia cannot wait this long to replace our ageing fleet of coal power stations, which are already struggling to cope with extreme heat.

Nuclear power stations are inflexible and ill-suited to a modern grid

Nuclear power stations are inflexible – that is, they cannot quickly increase or decrease the amount of electricity they produce.

Nuclear power generation is not well suited to modern, fast and flexible electricity grids with large amounts of wind and solar generation. Unlike inflexible nuclear, fast response technologies such as batteries, pumped hydro and solar thermal can be turned on and off, or ramped up and down to balance electricity supply and demand.

In California, where wind and solar provides more than 30% of the state’s power needs, the last nuclear power plant will shut by 2026.

Nuclear power stations need a lot of water

Nuclear power stations require massive quantities of water to operate. In a dry continent like Australia, prone to hot summers and drought conditions which are only likely to get more severe as climate change worsens, it would be reckless to rely on a water-hungry power source like nuclear.

The bottom line is this: it makes no sense to build nuclear power stations in Australia.

For more information on what Australia needs to build a modern electricity grid, read the Climate Council’s report ‘Powering a 21st Century Economy: Secure, Clean, Affordable Electricity’.  https://www.climatecouncil.org.au/nuclear-power-stations-are-not-appropriate-for-australia-and-probably-never-will-be/