Rio urges WA to go nuclear Colin JacobyTuesday, 30 August...

Rio urges WA to go nuclear

Colin Jacoby
Tuesday, 30 August 2011

RIO Tinto reportedly told the Western Australian government that nuclear power was a viable long-term option for smaller energy markets like WA.



According to an article in the The West Australian, Rio said in a submission to the Office of Energy that nuclear technology was constantly being refined and questioned why authorities were not at least looking at nuclear power generation as a viable alternative.

The Office of Energy is currently developing a plan that aims to meet the state?s growing energy needs over the next 20 years and has called on industry and the community to provide submissions.

In the submission, Rio general manager of climate change water and the environment Allan Jackson said it would seem reasonable that any long-term vision for the energy sector in WA should be open to consideration of all potential energy sources, including nuclear.

?Whilst modules of the order of 250 megawatt are becoming available, it seems inconsistent for the SEI [strategic energy initiative] to rule it out as a potential future power source until at least some initial high-level consideration of the potential role, the likely limitations and the financial viability of this source has been undertaken,? Jackson was quoted as saying.

In its Strategic Energy Initiative directions paper, the Office of Energy said the WA government had ruled out adopting nuclear power within the next 20 years.

?A number of written submissions and public forums raised the issue of nuclear power in Western Australia, with the most common position being a desire for open and informed debate,? the paper said.

?However, the state government does not believe that nuclear power will form part of the fuel mix in the timeframe of the Strategic Energy Initiative.

?The issues surrounding the viability of nuclear power as an energy source in Western Australia will continue to be debated and scrutinised.?

While plans to add nuclear power to the state?s energy mix are on the backburner, there is no letting up in bringing uranium mining in WA online.

Uranium projects including BHP Billiton?s Yeelirrie project, Toro Energy?s Wiluna project, Mega Uranium?s Lake Maitland project and the Cameco/Mitsubishi joint venture at Kintyre are currently undergoing state and federal approval processes