As the Coalition reveals seven sites for proposed nuclear power plants, Monash experts are available to comment:
Freyja Peters, Research Development and Strategy Manager, Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Contact details: +61 408 508 454 or Freyja.Peters@monash.edu
- The need for bipartisan consideration of the full range of energy options, including nuclear and renewables – which is the point many of Australia’s closest international allies now work from.
- Unpacking the conflation on first of a kind (FOAK) and Nth of a Kind (NOAK) reactor costs, especially vs realistic long-term costs for renewables.
- There is more to be said about the potential of micro-modular reactors in the Australian context, which could be transformative for remote industrial and community infrastructure if they start coming online in the next decade.
Associate Professor Roger Dargaville, Director Monash Energy Institute, Resources Engineering, Faculty of Engineering
Contact details: +61 450 501 248 or Roger.Dargaville@monash.edu
The following can be attributed to Associate Professor Dargaville:
“Nuclear has been clearly shown to be more expensive than renewables plus storage, and so to choose this pathway will result in higher energy prices for consumers.
“The timelines for nuclear are long. The delay in providing new capacity to replace ageing coal fired plants would likely mean a shortfall in power production in the meantime.
“It is interesting that the party that worships the free market is proposing that the new infrastructure be paid for and owned by government.”
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