No nukes is good nukes some would say. Energy Minister Martin Ferguson has again dashed nuclear power supporters’ hopes; but perhaps not without some regrets of his own.
Speaking to reporters after a National Carbon Capture and Storage Conference, Mr. Ferguson reportedly reiterated the Government’s commitment to exploring all potential forms of clean energy; but not without adding:
“…other than nuclear, which is a proven clean energy technology.”
Furthermore, he is quoted by The Australian as saying during the same exchange, “The only part of the energy mix not included in Australia at the moment is nuclear, and I must say that is going to reduce in costs over time as we go forward.”
Mr. Ferguson may be forgetting the issue of nuclear waste when it comes to cost – an aspect that also makes nuclear energy anything but clean.
Hundreds of ‘temporary’ sites around the world host spent nuclear fuel, which is still dangerously radioactive and will be for many generations. Just in the USA, there is approximately 70,000 metric tons of this waste piled up and the stockpile is only growing.
The issue of radioactive waste is where much of the real cost of nuclear energy lies. The electricity already generated by nuclear fuel will continue to cost future generations many billions of dollars in maintaining a vigil over the waste for centuries – or perhaps even millennia.
Decommissioning of a nuclear power plant once it reaches end-of-life is also an incredibly expensive exercise. The dismantling of 150 nuclear reactors in Europe is expected to cost around AUD $188 billion.
Nuclear power has become a hot button topic again in Australia with a recent backflip from the Queensland Government on an election promise. Premier Campbell Newman announced on Monday the state would lift a uranium mining ban; raising concerns from the Opposition that this would ultimately lead to a nuclear power industry in Australia.
Regardless of whether this eventuates or not, like the situation with coal exports, Australia looks set to further cement its reputation as a Typhoid Mary of sorts when it comes to uranium.
