An Australian royal commission on Monday recommended building a nuclear industry, including a waste dump, in the uranium-rich state of South Australia, propelling the case for overturning long-held opposition to nuclear power. The recommendation drew broad support from the federal government, and will likely be embraced by nuclear proponents to justify ending decades-long resistance to nuclear energy which has hinged on safety and environmental grounds. The government “stands ready to work with the South Australian Government if they choose to pursue any new economic opportunities in this area that create jobs and growth”, energy and resources minister Josh Frydenberg said in a statement.
Reuters 9th May 2016 read more »
A nuclear waste disposal site in South Australia could generate more than A$100 billion ($74 billion) in income over 120 years and the state government should pursue such an economic opportunity, a royal commission said in a report Monday. The state can safely increase its activities in the sector, although it will need to build public support to proceed, said the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission. South Australia, where BHP Billiton Ltd. operates the Olympic Dam mine, set up the commission last year to look at the role the state should play in the nuclear industry — from mining and enrichment to energy generation and waste storage. While Australia is home to the world’s largest uranium reserves, it has never had a nuclear power plant.
Bloomberg 9th May 2016 read more »
South Australia’s Royal Commission into the Nuclear Fuel Cycle has delivered its final report, recommending that the government should pursue the establishment of storage and disposal facilities for multi-national used nuclear fuel and intermediate-level waste. The announcement has been greeted as a fundamental change in the global nuclear waste discourse.
World Nuclear News 9th May 2016 read more »