<
https://theconversation.com/small-modular-reactors-have-promise-but-we-found-theyre-unlikely-to-help-australia-hit-net-zero-by-2050-235198>
"Australia’s clean energy transition is already underway, driven by solar,
wind, batteries and new transmission lines.
But what about nuclear? Opposition leader Peter Dutton last month committed to
building nuclear reactors on the site of retired coal plants – triggering
intense debate over whether this older low-carbon power source is viable in
Australia due to cost and long timeframes. Dutton proposed building a mix of
traditional large nuclear plants alongside small modular reactors (SMRs).
Over the last decade, there’s been growing interest in SMRs. These reactor
designs are meant to tackle known problems with traditional large reactor
designs, namely cost, perceived safety and lengthy build times.
Are SMRs ready? Experts from the the Australian Academy of Technological
Sciences and Engineering have done a deep dive on the state of the technology
and market considerations in a new report, summing up the state of the
technology.
What’s the answer? SMRs are not ready for deployment yet. The earliest they
could be built in Australia would be in the 2040s. That’s too late to help with
the push to net zero by 2050.
As our report notes, the “least risky option” would be to buy them after the
technology has been commercialised and successfully operated overseas. But once
the technology is proven, they could be used for specific circumstances, such
as powering energy-intensive manufacturing and refining."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
