Nuclear engineer dismisses Peter Dutton’s claim that small modular reactors could be commercially viable soon

Peter Dutton’s plan involves building seven nuclear power stations at existing coal plant sites, with the first potentially operating by the mid-2030s. Photograph: Bianca de Marchi/AAP

Australia would need “many decades” to develop the regulations and skills to operate a nuclear power plant, and the experience gained at the existing Lucas Heights facility won’t help much, according to New South Wales’ chief scientist and engineer.

Hugh Durrant-Whyte said he stood by comments made to a 2019 NSW upper house inquiry into uranium mining and nuclear facilities that running a plant and its fuel supply chain would require skills “built up over many decades”.