Nuclear is inevitable

There are some givens that need to be considered:

• The high voltage power will soon be built

• This line connects to the NSW, Victorian and SA grids

• SA depends on wind, sun and diesel for its electricity

• Victoria will phase out its brown coal generation

• A stable SE Australia electricity grid will increasingly need interconnectivity

• NSW will phase out its coal generators as well

• Many would have gas phased out also

• Wind and sun will never be able to produce electricity 24/7

• Storage (batteries and pumped hydro) is capital intensive

• Nuclear energy is free of carbon emissions

With these givens, it is highly unlikely that SE Australia can have a stable electricity supply once coal is phased out without nuclear power generation – gas will be used in the short time, but it has its enemies. So nuclear to generate electricity is inevitable.

The question then becomes: where should nuclear power plants be sited?

One answer is to place them adjacent to the coal power stations when they are decommissioned. This would eliminate the need for extra high voltage line construction.

Another answer is to build them along the new high voltage lines that are already in the late planning or early construction stage.

This is where the local possibility of a nuclear power station appears viable.

Another reason for choosing this area would be geological stability plus the sparse population.

I am amazed that the local government question includes a proviso that nuclear should only happen if the wind and solar generators are removed at the end of their operational life.

As stated above in the givens, SE Australia will need every bit of generation it can get and these local wind and solar facilities are mostly not on highly productive agricultural land.

Another question will be whether the nuclear power stations would be full scale, built on site facilities or Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).

This would depend on requirements and capacity, something that I am totally unqualified to comment on.

Another consideration may be the skilled operators needed and where these people may reside.

There is a likelihood that the adjacent Edward River Council may be a more suitable site.

Further north west around Balranald would be closer to the Victorian inter connector and therefore possibly more suitable for a large capacity generator.

As a Murrumbidgee shire resident, I was unaware of the council’s survey.

I believe that any survey should only occur after the participants are fully informed and limited to residents only. Surveys should not be used to foment disharmony.

My thoughts are that nuclear will ultimately be the only way to achieve “net zero by 2050” – the hint here is that it could 25 years before a local facility comes online.

If common sense played any part, serious consideration should be given to building a HELE power station utilising the high-quality black coal found under Oaklands.

This could be easily connected to the soon to be built high voltage line.

But then common sense appears to be a rare commodity these days.

Yours etc.

Denis Tinkler

Jerilderie