Australia warms to nuclear power

Nov 4, 2006, 2:01 GMT

Sydney - Australia could have nuclear power stations within 15 years, according to a panel set up by Prime Minister John Howard to look at nuclear as an energy option.

'A 15-year timeframe is realistic,' Resources Minister Ian Mcfarlane said Saturday in response to the panel's interim report. 'You could see the beginning of construction of the first nuclear power station in Australia within the next decade and coming on line and producing electricity on a constant basis within five years after that.'

In a period of 12 months, Howard's conservative government has come round to the view that switching to nuclear power could curb the greenhouse gases that cause global warming.

The coal-fired electricity plants that Australia relies on for almost 90 per cent of its power generation are big producers of greenhouse gas emissions and environmentalists have urged a switch to alternatives like solar power. But Howard has urged a switch to nuclear.

'Those who say they are in favour of doing something about global warming but turn their faces against considering nuclear power are unreal,' Howard said last month. 'It's part of the solution - I'm not saying it's the only solution - I just think that if we're serious about having a debate about global warming, particularly as the holder of some of the largest uranium reserves in the world, we have got to be willing to consider the nuclear option.'

The prime minister appointed the former head of Telstra, the country's biggest phone company, to lead an inquiry into uranium mining, processing and nuclear generating plants. It will submit its full report later this month.

Nuclear physicist Ziggy Switkowski's panel is expected to advocate a reconsideration of the reliance on coal for power generation.

Greens member of parliament Christine Milne accused Howard of signalling to Asian countries that Australia could soon be nuclear- weapons ready.

'That's the only take that the region will have on Prime Minister Howard's action,' Milne said. 'For the prime minister to now say Australia wants to court nuclear power will be seen as ratcheting up the arms race in this region.'

The opposition Labour Party is opposed to nuclear power.