Australia’s plan to build nuclear subs, despite having limited expertise, under scrutiny this week

Australia wants a fleet of nuclear powered submarines despite lacking a crucial element. An international watchdog is visiting this week to check us out.

Australia’s plans to build a fleet of nuclear-powered submarines in Adelaide despite currently having extremely limited expertise will come under the spotlight of the world’s nuclear energy watchdog this week.

The International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) director general Rafael Grossi will meet Foreign Affairs Minister Penny Wong in Adelaide on Monday.

The pair is likely to discuss Australia’s glaring lack of nuclear expertise and how SA plans to assemble a qualified workforce to construct at least eight nuclear-propelled submarines at the Osborne shipyard under the AUKUS security pact.

Senator Wong said Australia was a “longstanding supporter” of the IAEA to harness peaceful use of the technology and uphold the international nuclear non-proliferation regime.

“I look forward to discussing with Mr Grossi the Australian government’s open and transparent engagement with the IAEA on nuclear safeguards,” she said.

“This includes our approach for the acquisition of conventionally armed, nuclear-powered submarines under AUKUS, in which we are committed to the highest possible non-proliferation standards.”

Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Rafael Mariano Grossi. Picture: Alex Halada / AFP)

Australian Foreign Minister, Senator Penny Wong in Kinabalu last week. Picture: The Australian/Joshua Paul)

Senator Wong said she would also discuss with Mr Rossi the “challenging international security environment”. Though she did not mention China by name, Beijing’s growing influence in the Pacific and South East Asian region will likely top those discussions.

Senator Wong will hold the meeting fresh off a trip to her birth country of Malaysia, where her counterpart Dato Sri Saifuddin Bin Abdullah still holds strong concerns that the AUKUS security pact will trigger an arms-race and further stoke tensions with China.

Senator Wong said she listened to concerns “respectfully” and that “with time people’s concerns will be allayed”.

One of the greatest barriers to building and operating nuclear-powered submarines is the rigorous atomic safety regulations, with the industry requiring highly skilled and experienced workers to satisfy world standards.

SA has been routinely questioned about its ability to assemble a skilled workforce capable of working with nuclear technology.

Former premier Steven Marshall previously spoke about the issue with urgency, declaring Australia had massive “skills deficiencies” and no nuclear expertise.

He urged the former federal government to speed up security clearances so SA could rapidly employ overseas workers with qualifications in nuclear regulation, engineering, legal frameworks and every other part of the sector.

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