ANALYSIS: CSIRO Costings for Nuclear Comparing ‘Apples With Oranges’: Environmental Group

One environmental group says Australia’s peak science body has made errors in its estimation of the cost of nuclear energy production, noting the figures could be three to six times higher than the actual cost. The group’s comments come amid an ongoing debate over the annual GenCost report that compared costs between renewables and nuclear in Australia. The Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation (CSIRO), one of Australia’s largest scientific research bodies, released the consultation draft in December 2023. The report suggested that nuclear power, in particular small modular reactors (SMRs), is the most expensive form of energy source and could not play a role in Australia. Instead, it proposes solar and wind power as a more economically viable option with the “lowest cost range of any new-build technology.”...