Nuclear remains too expensive to curb emissions - National - smh.com.au

THE nuclear industry is unlikely to be competitive with fossil fuels or some renewable energy technologies any time soon because of its large set-up and waste costs, a report finds.
At a time when the Government was promoting nuclear energy as an affordable climate change solution, the report found Australia would not be able to make significant greenhouse gas emission cuts without supporting further big investments in renewable energy. Written by the energy consultants McLennan Magasanik Associates for the industry body Renewable Energy Generators of Australia, the report says nuclear energy may be cost competitive before 2016, with some kinds of highly efficient fossil fuel power generation backed by carbon capture and storage. When carbon capture is eventually commercially available, it will add dramatically to the cost of fossil-fuel-fired electricity.
Nuclear power could also be competitive with natural gas combined-cycle power and carbon capture after 2045.
"Even though nuclear energy had the advantage over fossil fuels of low emissions, some renewable technologies were likely to be as cost-effective," the report said.
Nuclear power's ability to deliver a lot of power in plants that generated low greenhouse gas emissions was offset by its long construction time (three to seven years) and community opposition, the report said.
The Prime Minister, John Howard, is expected to soon announce an inquiry into what role nuclear energy could play in curbing climate change. There is widespread agreement in scientific and political circles that greenhouse gases must be cut by about 50 per cent by 2050 to stabilise the world's climate.
Wendy