<
https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2025/feb/12/coalitions-nuclear-plan-would-consume-an-extra-sydney-harbours-worth-of-water-a-year-labor-says>
"A Sydney Harbour’s worth of extra water will be needed each year by the
Coalition’s proposed nuclear reactors, according to federal government analysis
that opens a new front in the political fight over Peter Dutton’s signature
energy policy.
After focusing most of their attacks on the economic arguments against nuclear,
Labor will pivot on Thursday to warn of serious implications for water supply,
particularly in regional communities.
Nuclear reactors require substantial amounts of water for cooling, with
estimates showing a 1,600MW facility consumes roughly 2,000 litres a second.
New government analysis supplied to
Guardian Australia suggests the
Coalition’s plan to replace retired coal-fired power stations with nuclear
power plants would require an additional 508,000 megalitres – about the
equivalent volume of Sydney Harbour – each year.
The climate change and energy minister, Chris Bowen, and the environment
minister, Tanya Plibersek, challenged the Coalition to explain where in a
“drought-stricken” nation the water would be sourced.
“Where will the water come from and who will pay for it? Will farmers foot the
bill? Or are they going to leave communities without a reliable drinking water
supply? What happens during drought?” Plibersek said."
Cheers,
*** Xanni ***
--
mailto:xanni@xanadu.net Andrew Pam
http://xanadu.com.au/ Chief Scientist, Xanadu
https://glasswings.com.au/ Partner, Glass Wings
https://sericyb.com.au/ Manager, Serious Cybernetics
