Australian Nuclear Association

Next Meeting

Hosted by the Nuclear Engineering Panel

Materials for Advanced Reactors

Prof Lyndon Edwards, ANSTO
5:30 for 6:00 pm, Wednesday 23 May 2012
Engineers Australia, 8 Thomas St, Chatswood NSW

Abstract

ATSE Clunies Ross 2012 Awards Dinner

ANA Members are invited to the ATSE Clunies Ross 2012 Awards Dinner 6.30 for 7 pm on Thursday 14 June in the Sydney Convention and Exhibition Centre. The ATSE Clunies Ross Awards recognise outstanding achievement in the application of science and technology for the economic, social or environmental benefit of Australia. If you would like to attend please RSVP by 1 June as requested on the invitation.

ANA Submission to NSW Inquiry

Next generation nuclear power systems are safer and more sustainable, and designed to address global energy needs later this century. This presentation will describe the challenges and progress to date in identifying, designing, producing and assessing materials that can withstand the extreme conditions of radiation, temperature, chemical environment and stress inherent in both fission and fusion systems, using examples of the current work at ANSTO. The ANA made a submission to the NSW Public Works Committee Inquiry into the Economics of Energy Generation in NSW. The Committee is examining the current mix of energy sources used in NSW, makes comparison with other jurisdictions, and the possibility of sourcing energy interstate. The Inquiry is also examining the potential for, and barriers to, alternative forms of energy. The ANA submission makes the case that nuclear power is a proven, economic and mature technology for the generation of baseload electricity with minimal emission of greenhouse gases and strongly recommends that nuclear power be included as a viable option in plans for NSW's energy future.

ANA Submission on Draft Energy White Paper

The second ANA submission was on the draft Energy White Paper released by the Minister for Resources and Energy, the Hon Martin Ferguson AM MP. The draft Energy White Paper seeks to provide a policy framework to address challenges in Australia's energy sector. Priority areas include developing gas resources and accelerating clean energy outcomes. Nuclear power was only considered as backstop baseload energy option should other commercial new low-emissions baseload energy (e.g. solar, geothermal, carbon capture and storage) or energy storage technologies fail to be developed within the timeframe to meet long-term global and national emissions reduction objectives (from 2025 onwards). The ANA Submission is on the draft Energy White Paper web site

ANA 2011 Award to Dr Ziggy Switkowski

The ANA 2011 Award was be presented to Dr Ziggy Switkowski on Monday 13 February 2012 when Dr Switkowski gave a special ANA presentation on Is Nuclear Power a Part of Australia's Clean Energy Future? at 11.30 am in the AINSE Theatre, Lucas Heights.

Dr Ziggy Switkowski is a very effective communicator on nuclear issues and has held senior leadership roles in nuclear science and technology in Australia. He chaired the 2006 Uranium Mining, Processing and Nuclear Energy Review (UMPNER), and was was Chair of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation from 2007 to 2010. Dr Switkowski has given many factual and reasoned contributions to the print and broadcast media and at public meetings on the nuclear energy option for Australia. He presented the keynote address at the Australian Nuclear Association 2007 and 2009 conferences on "nuclear issues in Australia" and "when Australia will be ready for nuclear power", respectively. Dr Ziggy Switkowski has a PhD in nuclear physics from the University of Melbourne and is a Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering.

The Australian Nuclear Association 2011 Annual Award is awarded to Dr Zygmunt (Ziggy) Switkowski in recognition of his outstanding contribution to nuclear science and technology in Australia.

ANA2011 Conference

The Ninth Conference on Nuclear Science & Engineering in Australia otherwise known as the ANA2011 Conference was held on 7 October 2011 in the Sydney Mechanics Institute at 280 Pitt St, Sydney. This, the ninth in the series of biennial national conferences hosted by the ANA, provided timely updates on progress on many aspects of the peaceful uses of nuclear science and technology.

The conference theme was "The Future of Nuclear Science & Technology" and a number of eminent speakers gave presentations. The opening address was given by Dr Adi Paterson, CEO ANSTO, representing The Hon. Kim Carr, the Federal Minister for Innovation, Industry Science and Research. The Program comprised invited speakers and a panel discussion on opportunities and challenges for a nuclear future for Australia and the World. The ANA2011 Conference was supported by ANSTO, ANA, AINSE Ltd and the Nuclear Engineering Panel, Engineers Australia.

The ANA is very grateful to the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO) for its sponsorship of the conference, the speakers for their informative and well prepared presentations and the audience for its interest and involvement all of whom made for a very successful conference. ANA2011 was the ninth in the series of biennial national conferences hosted by ANA since 1995.

ANA joins the World Council of Isotopes

The ANA has joined the World Council of Isotopes (WCI) as an organisational member. The WCI is a new international organisation "to promote cooperation internationally in the sharing of the uses of safe and environmentally sound isotope technologies to serve the needs for global wellbeing". The President of WCI is Professor Chang Sun Kang, of Korea, currently President, Pacific Nuclear Council (PNC).

ANA member Dr Tim Payne is a member of the WCI Executive Committee and Chair of the Special Committee for Environmental and Related Applications.

Last Updated 5 May 2012