Executive director of the Australian Coal Association Mark O’Neill said the review details the possibilities associated with nuclear technology and its ability to meet Australia’s increased energy demand while contributing to emission reductions.
“The economy will almost treble in size by around mid-century and our energy demand will track that growth,” O’Neill said.
“But we are told our emissions will have to be half today's levels. The review demonstrates that if we are going to meet our energy needs and still achieve a massive transformation in the emissions intensity of our economy, we will need to consider every available option.”
The review also demonstrates that the nuclear debate is not about replacing coal.
“If we are going to get anywhere near the sorts of deep cuts in greenhouse gas emissions by mid-century that some people are talking about, we can't afford to place any technology off limits without a thorough assessment of all the costs and benefits,” O’Neill said.
“But we are very confident that clean coal technologies will be very competitive with the nuclear option for baseload power generation.”
O’Neill said the low-emission coal technologies including carbon capture and storage were still immature so costs are still high, but would reduce more steeply than already mature nuclear technology over the next decade and beyond.
“We have a competitive electricity market and no one will build anything unless it is profitable in that market,” he said.
The review also confirms that at their current pace of development, reduced and near-zero emissions coal plants would be available well within the timeframe being discussed for nuclear plants.
