The push for nuclear-powered data centres is entirely dependent on technology that remains commercially unproven and prohibitively expensive, according to a new report released today by the Australian Conservation Foundation.
Several Coalition shadow ministers are promoting nuclear power, particularly small modular nuclear reactors, or SMRs, as a potential energy source for data centres.
Shadow energy minister Dan Tehan, Nationals leader Matt Canavan, Nationals deputy Bridget McKenzie, shadow minister Andrew Hastie and Liberal senator Jonno Duniam have all said nuclear power should play a role in supplying electricity to data centres.
“SMRs are presented as a solution to Australia’s future energy needs, but they remain a theoretical answer to a very real and rapidly growing challenge: decarbonising the electricity system while meeting increasing demand from electrification, industry and data-intensive technologies,” said ACF’s nuclear free campaigner Mia Pepper.
“Australia has more than 160 operating data centres and many more are planned.
“The rapid spread of data centres – including proposals to power them with coal and gas – has sparked serious and widespread concerns about energy, water and land use, health impacts, electricity prices and the growth of AI.
“The International Energy Agency expects renewables to provide around two-thirds of new electricity generation for data centres between 2024 and 2035, compared with just 6% from nuclear – and much of that projected nuclear contribution relies on SMRs suddenly becoming commercially viable.
“Small modular nuclear reactors remain unavailable and prohibitively expensive. There is a growing list of abandoned attempts to build prototypes globally.
“Coalition and One Nation members pushing nuclear for data centres are ignoring the reality that small modular nuclear reactors don’t exist and there is no serious investment in SMRs for data centres anywhere in the world.
“The push for nuclear-powered data centres risks distracting – possibly deliberately – from the urgent task of rapidly decarbonising Australia’s energy system.
“Combining two of the most unpopular industries, data centres and nuclear power, is a strange political strategy to win over a public that staunchly opposes both.”
Read the report: Phantom energy: Small modular reactors and data centres