Australian companies are looking into a public-private partnership (PPP) in the country for a 40-megawatt (MW) gas-cooled reactor, the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI) said.
DTI said that Southern Infrastructure Pty. Ltd and Kaizen ANZ Pty. Ltd are both interested in entering into an agreement with the government to build and deliver the project.
Trade Secretary Alfredo Pascual met with the two companies to discuss the potential of renewable energy investment in the country, citing interest in alternative sources like hydrogen and nuclear energy.
DTI noted that the meeting discussed the possibility of developing, building, and operating an initial 40-MW thorium-fueled simple-high temperature gas-cooled reactor.
This project would deliver safe, sustainable, and green baseload power at around $0.03.8 per kilowatt-hour (kWh), the lowest rate in the market.
Furthermore, the reactor is expected to produce green hydrogen for transport and desalinated water and gamma radiation as by-products, which can be used for long-term storage of food products.
DTI said that the project is slated to begin by mid-2024 and to finish construction by 2027.
Photo from the International Atomic Energy Agency
