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Nuclear is never save, as Greenpeace demonstrated by occupying Australia's Lucas Heights nuclear facility with ease.
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In England, first generation nuclear reactors, Dungeness A and Sizewell
A, were turned off on New Year's eve. The BBC reported that the
reactors were decommissioned because they are no longer efficient. A
reprocessing plant at Sellafield is also due to close in 2012.
Decommissioning the sites and removing radioactive material will take around 25 years. That's more than half the electricity generating lifetime of the plants themselves. The cost of decommissioning is enormous - an estimated AU$170 billion.
In Bulgaria, two ageing reactors at its only nuclear power plant, Kozlodui, were forced to close as a condition of Bulgaria's EU entry. The EU said the units did not meet safety standards.
Slovakia's Bohunice V-1, unit 1, was also closed at the end of December 2006, eliminating about nine per cent of Slovakia's electricity supply. Despite numerous upgrades, it did not meet EU saftely standards. The second unit of the V-1 plant, with the same type of reactor, will close in 2008.
Considering the enormous cost of building and decommissioning nuclear reactors, and a recent terrorist threat to Lucas Heights, it just doesn't make sense for Australia to pursue a nuclear future.
Nuclear power is not viable for Australia. It:
A report by the government calculates that building 25 nuclear reactors by 2050 would only cut Australia's emissions by eight to 18 per cent. We only have the next 10 years to avert the coming climate crisis and change our energy profile. A nuclear plant takes at least 15 years to build.
In December 2006, a terrorist group allegedly planned to attack Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor with rocket launchers stolen from an Australian armoury. Building 25 more lethal reactor targets would unnecessarily increase that risk, not to mention nuclear fuel transport targets that travel like sitting ducks through suburban streets.
There is an opportunity here for Australia to switch to clean, safe, renewable energy. Says Greenpeace head of campaigns, Stephen Campbell, "If the government is really serious about reducing Australia's greenhouse emissions, they should get out of coal, and support energy efficiency and renewable energy like solar, wind and geothermal, which could cut Australia's emissions by 30 per cent by 2020.
Decommissioning the sites and removing radioactive material will take around 25 years. That's more than half the electricity generating lifetime of the plants themselves. The cost of decommissioning is enormous - an estimated AU$170 billion.
In Bulgaria, two ageing reactors at its only nuclear power plant, Kozlodui, were forced to close as a condition of Bulgaria's EU entry. The EU said the units did not meet safety standards.
Slovakia's Bohunice V-1, unit 1, was also closed at the end of December 2006, eliminating about nine per cent of Slovakia's electricity supply. Despite numerous upgrades, it did not meet EU saftely standards. The second unit of the V-1 plant, with the same type of reactor, will close in 2008.
Considering the enormous cost of building and decommissioning nuclear reactors, and a recent terrorist threat to Lucas Heights, it just doesn't make sense for Australia to pursue a nuclear future.
Independent experts answer your questions about nuclear power and Australia
Why nuclear power is wrong for Australia
Nuclear power is not viable for Australia. It:
- is enormously expensive
- exposes Australia to terrorist and proliferation risks
- provides only minimal greenhouse reductions
- takes too long to build to avoid climate change
A report by the government calculates that building 25 nuclear reactors by 2050 would only cut Australia's emissions by eight to 18 per cent. We only have the next 10 years to avert the coming climate crisis and change our energy profile. A nuclear plant takes at least 15 years to build.
In December 2006, a terrorist group allegedly planned to attack Sydney's Lucas Heights nuclear reactor with rocket launchers stolen from an Australian armoury. Building 25 more lethal reactor targets would unnecessarily increase that risk, not to mention nuclear fuel transport targets that travel like sitting ducks through suburban streets.
There is an opportunity here for Australia to switch to clean, safe, renewable energy. Says Greenpeace head of campaigns, Stephen Campbell, "If the government is really serious about reducing Australia's greenhouse emissions, they should get out of coal, and support energy efficiency and renewable energy like solar, wind and geothermal, which could cut Australia's emissions by 30 per cent by 2020.
