Why Another Study is Needed

An honest evaluation of nuclear energy for Australia is essential for carbon reductions because at a national level no nations have made substantial reductions in emissions using intermittent renewables (IR) such as wind and solar. Current reports in Australia such as The Australian Power Generation Technology Report (2015) do not:

• analyse the limited carbon reductions achieved by an integrated system of IR with gas backup,
• include full life cycle analysis for each energy source including fugitive emissions or the embodied carbon from off shore manufacture,
• report on the costs of emissions abatement for each system,
• set any direction as to the balance between costs of generation and the costs of abatement,

Future carbon reductions must be based upon system results and not individual levelised costs of electricity. If Australia continues with the implementation of intermittent renewable energy with gas backup we run a significant risk of “plateauing” on an electricity system which emits about 350 gr. CO2/kWh. At this point we will have exhausted our budget for further reductions and not have sufficient generation to make inroads into other sections of our primary emissions including transport.

The Australian Nuclear for Climate Project will transform much of our economy and provide an inspirational direction for the Australian workforce. It will enable Australians to create a more autonomous first rate scientific and industrial society.