I see the arrival of SMRs as inevitable to replace Australia's current need for 60% coal power. They could most likely be sited at former coal station sites to use the transmission, switchyards, cooling facilities and any skilled workers still in the area. Secondly those SMRs would have to be supplied by democratic countries not China or Russia. We don't want resupply or hidden kill switch issues.

At least one inland project needs a 300km pipe from a desalination plant on the coast. In SA several copper mines may be connected by rail with electrolytic refining at Olympic Dam greatly expanded. The desal plant would be on Spencer Gulf say the Whyalla area. A floating SMR could do both desal and electricity supply. BHP have mentioned nuclear power ships in the past.

There's a Scandinavian company already doing this as a rent a floating power station to your location. And can use navigable river systems and convenient coastal harbours for that purpose. Not ideal, as under their marketing model the reactors need to be changed every three years or so and replaced by a freshly refuelled reactor.

Reactors can be sealed and run for thirty years or under the model that includes automatic on-site processing of the fuel, one hundred years, i.e., MSR thorium. This model reduces PKWH cost to just three cents or less.

None of the above an get with a bull's roar of the latter.

The Chinese make a perfected model that they have for sale. we should buy as many as we need to replace aging coal-fired power stations. And sited to suit local power (carbon free) supply needs.

Any model that includes a paper shuffling, profit demanding middleman, is not for us. And if any of our corrupt and or incompetent pollies want to do that in return for a greased palm. They need to be voted out of office and their dirty deals rescinded.
Alan B.

The Russians been doing for decades. (go & check on my posts where I have advocated that for years now)
Same goes for Lake Eyre's Bradfield scheme. How many more years to some of us have to bleat that before one or two others finally catch on ?
Same with a NMNS ! I simply can not believe how long it takes so many people to see sense !

At least one inland project needs a 300km pipe from a desalination plant on the coast.
Taswegian,
Totally irrational proposal considering the technology at hand already. Desalination is a good option for small island communities or infrequent use projects. Very large plants are way too power consuming & the upkeep is tremendously costly & above all, polluting.
Portable or small nuclear plants are easier to operate safely than massive plants that simply no-one can control. Chernobyl & Fukushima must never happen again & they cannot happen again if no more large plants are built.

As Blackout pointed out, if the nuclear ban were lifted the government might have to hand over some taxpayer money, as it would be anti-competitive to give billions in handouts annually to wind and solar only. The likes of Twiggy and Cannon-Brookes don't like sharing.

Until the average Australian investors don't embrace long-term investment nothing positive regarding the future of this Nation will eventuate.