Nuclear power now ‘viable’ for Australia

Former ANSTO chair Ziggy Switkowski says nuclear power is “viable” for Australia now despite believing it was not an option years ago.
“I’ve kind of, as a result, reengaged in the public debate,” he told Sky News host Chris Kenny.
“I think a couple of things have changed in my mind over the last few weeks actually, and that is we now have an important person, the Opposition leader, advocating and not just in a political way, but with a degree of commitment.”

[@roostercogburn1984]

22 dead from lithium battery fire in Korea

[@paulchilds9137]

About 220,000 killed by atomic bombs in Hiroshima and Nagasaki.

[@koenma932]

@@paulchilds9137good thing nobody’s talking about making atomic bombs then

[@Eric-jo8uh]

Finland opened a new nuclear power station a few weeks ago. No one is moaning. Technology has changed considerably and is constantly changing. Grow up Australia and stop whinging.

[@Proud87Aussie]

Yep tell that to the lefties and Greenies here I want nuclear for cheaper power as I pay over $750 a QTR here and they want to stop it

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

Nuclear power brings down electricity prices by 75% in Finland.

[@buddhastaxi666]

Experts have put Olkiluoto 3's final price tag at around 11 billion euros ($12 billion) - almost three times what was initially estimated. Plus 24,000 years of polluting to waste. You can have free power at home for the price of a second-hand car.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@buddhastaxi666 : That's total rubbish. I BET you do not have a source.

[@tassied12]

@@buildmotosykletist1987 That information is correct and widely documented. The Finland power authority (TVO) and French contractors (AREVA) were in and out of courts for years arguing over who was going to pay for the cost overruns and delays (It was initially supposed to be online in 2009) There were so many problems with the project that an additional planned reactor (Olkiluoto 4) was canned.

[@milosradovanovic5280]

Well done Chris, fantastic show. This is debate Australia needs. Dr Ziggy Switkowsky has done ,in nut shell, evidence that nuclear energy is profitable , possible, realeble, chepar, clean, communities beneficial. Australia can be nuclear powerhouse ,definitely. Winning Formula ,definitely. 👍🐖💯🇦🇺🇺🇸❤️🤗🌎

[@bobthebomb1596]

Actually with the events in Ukraine most of the western world are crying out for additional nuclear fuel manufacturing capacity independent of Russia. Where better to establish it than at the site of the worlds largest uranium reserves?

[@troywallace322]

Spot on 👌

[@nocomment1683]

Nuclear all the way!!

[@Marcus-cz5uu]

Nice to hear from Dr Z

[@Super_Mario128]

Yesss! Game over Dutton wins!

[@larrylongprong5219]

🤣🤣🤣

[@bettymarshall2702]

👍👍👍

[@rodsloane706]

Pragmatism. Rational thought & discussion. Missing completely in Club Albo.

[@p77ws]

Yep, Dutton will be getting my vote for sure.. About time this happens. There are obviously other issues to address as well, but energy availability, and cost are absolutely crucial to address with sustainable options NOW. Just don't change your mind now Dutton, don't go and pull this cart halfway- the benfits of plentyful energy supply are endless if done properly

[@mattydeanwtf]

If government cut foreign aid we could afford nuclear easily….. Australia first….

[@mives02]

I know its too much to ask these days but just treat us like adults with this. Sick of the emotional fear mongering and pandering. Bloody tiresome.

[@clivemarriott7749]

Use the French nuclear method which is a standard designs and every plant is the same size, the same design, same, everything. The reason is what doubles and multiplies cost is regulatory costs during building. With custom build everything has to be tested and retested many times, sometimes rebuilt several times. To avoid all that you use an already tested standard design every time like the French. A very leftish inspection team just love to draw out delays rebuilds overhawls redesigns and alarmist concerns for many years. Of course the unions are extremely happy if the build time extends 10 times.

[@tassied12]

Those were old designs that would be unacceptable today. They only plant the French have built in the last 20 years (at Flamanville) has had major overruns in cost and time

[@clivemarriott7749]

@@tassied12 I didn't say you had to use an outdated design but you need to choose 1 design and repeat that design all over. The point is to save time and money and get projects up and running asap.

[@tassied12]

@@clivemarriott7749 My point is the nuclear industry no longer seems able to get to that stage. Every western nuclear project over the last 20 years (Flamanville,Vogtle, Sumner, Olkiluoto, Hinkley) has gone way over time and budget. There are 60+ designs for SMRs around the world. That is going to lead nowhere. Even the Chinese are having trouble rolling out nuclear reactors. Despite ambitious plans, they have only been able to roll out about 2 GW/year of nuclear over the last 5 years while deploying huge amounts of wind and solar capacity

[@clivemarriott7749]

@@tassied12 Its death by regulatory hell currently, this is true and some people have to come through that with a winning design. Another 3 years + i expect.

[@andrew6526]

Store the spent rods, in Albo's and Bowens properties. I want to see a 3 eyed Bowen fish. 🐟🤣

[@mariomoleta1545]

Great minds think alike.

[@nunya73]

Make sure to consult aboriginal elders before building anything 😂

[@stephenmassey9845]

Rolls Royce have SMR (small modular reactors) already developed. These reactors are about the size of two football fields, can be built to blend into the landscape, and offer clean, safe, and much cheaper energy for 1 million homes for around 60 years.

[@user-zd3xs4ts6f]

Noook-leear is viable, reliable and constant, it wont cost a trillion to set up ( unlike fantastical renewables) and it will genuinely being prices down 👎😂😂😂😂😂

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

Nuclear power brings down electricity prices by 75% in Finland.

[@kaneyapoudal7980]

They haven't even released how much nuclear would even make up the mix of energy production, is it 3% or 5%. Absolutely no details.

[@Dismas2503]

Ziggy will be 108 by the time they are built. I don't think he will see any benefits.

[@Hyper_Vaccinated]

There's the real "Dismas" AKA Chester. A seething child desperate to sound like an educated adult and totally unable to be one.

[@simongross3122]

And yet he still wants what's best for his community. He is a mensch.

[@mawhim]

Well if the price is too high people will put solar+batteries in, and the cost passed onto those that can't have them. At least I know I will. That is not good.

[@basil8940]

I'm concerned we're at a inflection point between 3rd and 4th generation reactors. I'm also concerned Australia is still too anti-nuclear that they'll/we'll be able organise fly-in protesters, and that the anti-nuclear movement and regulations will kill our path to safer, better for the environment than wind and solar, energy.

[@briananderson7285]

Wind and solar are destroying the environment, flora and fauna, farm land and have to be replaced in 12 to 15 year's, and as yet unable to be recycled.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

More people support nuclear than are against it. Take it to an election.

[@briananderson7285]

Yes renewables 10 to 15 years they have to be renewed, the destruction of farm land ,native flora and fauna. And as yet mostly unable to be recycled.

[@briananderson7285]

3rd time lucky adding a comment, wind an solar, destroying, farm land ,flora and fauna.

[@paulgraham5790]

I will be perfectly honest... we are stuffed. Nuclear is two decades away at least, mostly due to the politics and bureaucracy. Coal fired power will progressively be shut down over the next decade and renewables will not cut it. Electricity is going to be prohibitively expensive to the point only the wealthy will be able to heat their homes with it. Many will go off grid or make do without any fixed power infrastructure at all relying on portable panels to charge only the most necessary appliances. I bid you all the best.

[@bettymarshall2702]

Don't be so negative. If Dutton gets in we will have Nuclear in no time and coal still being used.

[@renearango8021]

Get solar and get 75% off your bills

[@bettymarshall2702]

@@renearango8021 Only if you put some really good batteries in as well.

[@paulgraham5790]

@@renearango8021 LOL. got solar and it doesn't work as good as they say. Surprise surprise.

[@renearango8021]

@bettymarshall2702 will never get nuclear. Dutton will never win back the teals seats with nuclear policies. More likely he is going to be rolled out and nuclear dumped

[@michaeltimmis216]

Research power factor and realise the inefficiencies of solar power

[@tassied12]

Just ONE new reactor construction start outside China last year and just TWO this year. (IAEA reactor database) Data released this week showed that global solar capacity increased by 447 GW last year, up 87% on the previous year, while global nuclear capacity went backwards. Solar is going gangbusters. Nuclear is going nowhere

[@guyramsay246]

What he fails to say is if australia lifts its urnaium ban on all states there will be a substantial amount of urnaium coming into the market 😊 and supporting a company called paladin energy in mount isa will support queensland and the coty of mount isa for years to come as glencore pulls out of the town.

[@simongross3122]

That simply isn't true. Australia still mines uranium and exports it. The amount that Australia would need is tiny compared to what the rest of the world already uses.

[@kallekas8551]

ЩЕ ЯЦЗЗIИЗ УЕЯЧ ХАРРУ АЦЗТЯАLiА ШАИТ АТОМIК ВОМВЗ . РЦТГИ УЕЯЧ РЬЕАЗЕД!❤ ТХАИК УОЦ!!

[@adtiamzon3663]

Good on Peter Dutton to seriously start the debate now on building #nuclear - powered energy infrastructure in strategic locations in Australia! 😍 #smarteconomy #ESG #AI

[@lukeclifton4392]

Given the inherent dangers of PFAS, I’d feel safer living near a Nuclear reactor… than near PFAS contaminated land and waterways. OH WAIT, considerable levels of PFAS has been found in much of Australia’s drinking water!!💀💀💀

[@FranksHairSalon]

Where do you come up with this stuff? Do you just make $hi1 up?

[@jameshodgetts5594]

Imagine radiation found in your water ways,

[@polarbear7255]

@@jameshodgetts5594 Imagine the radiation already in your home or in the food you it. You need to educate yourself on radiation mate.

[@lukeclifton4392]

@@FranksHairSalon Do you live under a rock?🤦🏻‍♂️

[@user-vr7pl4zt9o]

Great interview Chris..👍👍 Bring on nuclear, why wouldn’t you der

[@desking8065]

Ziggy should have known better it's not that simple. Costings are impossible as a SMR in us has been abandoned and canada won't start on one before 2030.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

There are several under construction right now. By the end of the decade they will be in production.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

Over 70% of Frances pwer is nuclear and has been for 50 years now. France has the cheapest electricity in Europe.

[@polarbear7255]

CANDU is the way to go.

[@user-eq4ns9le1n]

How much will nuclear contribute to the total power mx? Don’t know. How much nuclear power will be produced? Don’t know. What mix of large and small reactors will there be? Don’t know. How many reactors will there be at each site? Don’t know. What will nuclear power cost? Don’t know. Will local opinion to the site of a reactor be overridden? Don’t know. How much waste will be produced? Don’t know. Where will the waste be stored? Don’t know. If you don’ know, vote NO.

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

ROFL. ALL those questions have been answered. Don't you read the news?

[@user-eq4ns9le1n]

@@buildmotosykletist1987 And the answers are?

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

@@user-eq4ns9le1n : Read the bloody newspaper today ! Do you want me to change your nappy as well ?

[@jameshodgetts5594]

What is that smoking out of thoes chimneys surely it's steam or is that pollution??????????😮😮😮😢🎉

[@peterolsen9131]

steam from cooling towers

[@jennymills3147]

That is steam from the cooling towers of a coal power generating plant.

[@gregrobins5615]

What a typical response from a dumbass Labor supporter trying to be funny ! Albanese is gone !

[@user-du8kd3sn8n]

Viable maybe. Feasible- over a long stretch. Desirable? Not economic vs alternatives. Nah dud product for 2024 Australia.

[@kenwaugh7]

The nuclear debacle is playing so poorly for Dutts & Co. I bet he regrets his stupidity. Keep it up, please, all the way to the election. Please.

[@steverogers9507]

🤣🤣😂😂

[@buildmotosykletist1987]

The polls show Aussies support nuclear. YES PLEASE "all the way to an LNP election".

[@gregrobins5615]

No,you're in for a big shock. Australians are now well aware that most countries in the G20 have gone to nuclear power successfully and safely. Albanese is a dead duck in the water and good riddance to his dud government.

[@simongross3122]

What's stupid is labor's response. Three-eyed fish? Decades-old Simpsons cartoons? The mature side of the debate is clear to see, and it's not labor, greens or teals.

[@FranksHairSalon]

No it's not. The CSIRO report put the nail in the coffin of nuclear power.

[@paulgraham5790]

CSIRO must be on the take because the gen cost report is BS.

[@lukeclifton4392]

The original CSIRO report was so fundamentally wrong, they had to re-evaluate and issue a new report!! The latest CSIRO report puts Nuclear as a viable alternative, even though their forecast of technological developments within the renewable industry is “hopeful” at best.

[@ivanf6938]

Nah it actually put nuclear within 1.5 times the cost of renewables. Close enough to make a value judgement and a risk analysis that could still see nuclear get up. It also put Bowen and his 6 times figure back in their box.

[@FranksHairSalon]

@@lukeclifton4392 What "new report" are you talking about? Have you been breathing the Murdoch air again?

[@FranksHairSalon]

@@ivanf6938 I thought you wanted cheaper power bills. I wish you'd make up your minds! Do you want cheaper power or nuclear power?

[@Maj-zb9bg]

Ziggy the man that blew 2 billion from a telstra deal gone wrong in Singapore

[@lukeclifton4392]

Given the inherent dangers of PFAS, I’d feel safer living near a Nuclear reactor… than near PFAS contaminated land and waterways. OH WAIT, considerable levels of PFAS has been found in much of Australia’s drinking water!!💀💀💀