Adding nuclear power into Australia’s energy mix would only reduce the country’s expansion in solar power capacity by 7 per cent and require 12 per cent less wind power capacity, an economic analysis has found.

Installing 7 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity would mean only moderate reductions in the build-out required in renewables by 2050 to reach net-zero emissions, research organisation BloombergNEF found, also warning it would be “far more expensive”.