Australian inquiry recommends lifting the ban on modern nuclear power plants

An inquiry has recommended lifting the ban in Australia on the use of the most modern nuclear power plants and new designs under development in a report issued today. The report, written by the Australian House of Representatives Standing Committee on the Environment and Energy, sets out a clear path to explore the potential for nuclear energy in Australia.

The report, ‘Not without your approval: a way forward for nuclear technology in Australia’, sets out three recommendations by which to evaluate the nuclear energy options available and remove the current moratorium on the use of the latest Gen III+ designs, which are now under construction worldwide, as well as forthcoming Gen IV technologies.

Agneta Rising, Director General, World Nuclear Association said, “It’s great to see the Australian federal inquiry recommend lifting the country’s long held ban on building nuclear power plants. We think this is a natural step as in many ways Australia is already a leading nuclear nation. The country has a long and proud nuclear history and is well placed from a technical, regulatory and social standpoint to start a nuclear power program. If Australia chooses to use nuclear energy it will join a long list of other countries which are embarking down this path”

The report recommends a detailed examination of the range of nuclear technologies available and the economics of nuclear energy.

Agneta Rising said, “I am pleased to see that the Committee’s report recommends an economic assessment of nuclear energy alongside other energy sources that would include full system costs and the impact of carbon emissions. Only when the full costs and benefits of different forms of electricity generation are considered can a fair comparison be made. Nuclear energy, should Australia choose to use it, could provide it with clean and reliable electricity supplies that would allow its economy to flourish while protecting its fragile and precious environment.”