Isramart : Australia told nuclear the best way to reduce carbon emissions

Isramart news:
Australia will eventually have to turn to nuclear power if it wants to substantially reduce carbon emissions, experts predicted on Monday.

The forecast came from engineers and scientists from around the world attending a two-day national climate change symposium hosted by the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (ATSE).

Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organization chief DrZiggy Switkowski told delegates in Brisbane that Australia should build 50 nuclear power stations by 2050.

Switkowski said his 2006 recommendations to the former Howard Liberal government for 25 nuclear reactors by 2050 had been too conservative.

“We should plan to have our first reactor up and running by 2020 and then go for a fleet as large as 50 reactors by 2050 producing 75 gigawatts of electricity,” Switkowski said.

“France already has 59 reactors, Japan 55, the U.S. 104, so 50 for us over the next four decades is within our capabilities.”

U.K. Energy Research Center Executive Director John Loughhead said nuclear provided reliable base load energy with no carbon emissions during operation.

“It would be technically difficult to meet very aggressive targets without some nuclear in the mix, even in Australia,” said Loughhead, who recently worked with Victorian state government on sustainable energy projects.

“But it depends on what the targets are and what other options there are in Australia as it has a much more extensive geothermal resource than Europe, which could play a big role,” he told Australian Associated Press.

John Burgess from the ATSE said renewable technologies had high investment costs and nuclear was the cheapest next-best option.

Burgess said to cut just 10 percent of Australia’s carbon emissions would require an investment of 174 billion Australian dollars (162.6 billion U.S. dollars) in solar power, 46 billion Australian dollars (43 billion U.S. dollars) in wind power or 30 billion Australian dollars (28 billion U.S. dollars) in gas fired power.