DEAR News Of The Area,

MY article regarding using clean, emission free nuclear reactors to generate steam for traditional turbo generators to generate electricity has created a conversation which is a good thing.

It’s also worthwhile to remove the so-called gaslighting rhetoric.

So, I’ll quote the World Nuclear Association.

1. The first commercial nuclear power stations started operation in the 1950s (75 years ago of proven technology).

2. Nuclear energy now provides about nine percent of the world’s electricity from about 440 power reactors however.

3. Nuclear power currently provides about one-quarter (25 percent) of the world’s low-carbon electricity.

4. Nuclear is the world’s second largest source of low-carbon power.

5. Additionally, over 50 countries utilise nuclear energy in about 220 research reactors. In addition to research, these reactors are used to produce medical and industrial isotopes, as well as for training.

6. Civil nuclear power can now boast around 20,000 reactor years of operating experience, and nuclear power plants are operational in 31 countries (plus Taiwan) worldwide.

In fact, through regional transmission grids, many more countries depend on nuclear-generated power, particularly in Europe.

Fourteen countries in 2023 produced at least one-quarter of their electricity from nuclear power.

France gets up to 70 percent of its electricity from nuclear energy, while Ukraine, Slovakia and Hungary get about half from nuclear power.

Bangladesh and Turkey are currently constructing their first nuclear power plants.

Several other countries are moving towards use of nuclear energy for power production.

Thirty countries in total.

The use of reactors for marine propulsion is mostly confined to the major navies where it has played an important role for five decades, providing power for submarines and large surface vessels.

Over 160 ships, mostly submarines, are propelled by some 200 nuclear reactors and over 13,000 reactor years of experience have been gained with marine reactors.

So just to repeat, using high power density nuclear reactors in Australia to firm up renewables is not a scary proposal and in the future it will happen.

Remember we are signed up to AUKUS. Australia has been managing radioactive waste at Lucas Heights in the middle of Sydney for over 50 years and the proposed nuclear Kimba Waste Management facility was only stopped because of a complaint from the Barngarla people who claim after eight years they weren’t properly consulted which outraged the local community, all of whom agreed with the proposal.

Renewables firmed up by nuclear will be our future.

Regards,
Derek MUSGROVE,
Tea Gardens.