CSIRO Report exposes Coalition’s Nuclear Plans as Costly and Delayed
The 2024-25 draft report highlights that nuclear plants could cost twice as much as solar or wind energy, even though they have the potential to operate for 60 years compared to 30 years for renewables.
CSIRO’s latest GenCost report from Australia’s peak scientific research agency raises doubts about the Coalition’s nuclear energy plans by revealing that nuclear power would be considerably more costly than renewables, despite their longer reactor lifespans.
According to the draft report, nuclear plants are projected to cost at least $8.6 billion to build and take over 20 years to complete. The construction timeline for large-scale nuclear plants has been increasing, with the global median nuclear construction times rising from six years to 8.2 years over the past five years.
Opposition leader Peter Dutton, who has faced criticism for not disclosing detailed costings, is expected to provide more information on the proposal later this week. Dutton has pledged to build seven nuclear energy plants across Australia if elected to power.
