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| Australia Faces new Problems For the Manufacture of SSBN Submarines |
International Military - Australia smiles broadly, the process of developing its nuclear-powered submarine has begun. As is well known, Australia, Britain and the US signed the AUKUS agreement in September 2021 amid rising tensions between the West and nuclear-armed China.
The coalition is certainly gaining ground in the Pacific, Australia's traditional sphere of influence. For this reason, Australia eventually became the second country after Britain to obtain nuclear propulsion technology from the United States.
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On the other hand, it is possible that the submarine was powered by a Rolls Royce engine. Reporting from the Eurasian Times, it is known that this British-based Rolls Royce engine is also experienced in powering the Royal Navy's nuclear submarines. "We are responsible for delivering the Nuclear Steam Raising Plants (NSRP), plus part of the secondary propulsion system, to the UK Ministry of Defence.
We also manage these assets throughout their lifecycle," says the Rolls Royce website. It provides front-line support for Royal Navy submarine reactor plant equipment worldwide from the main Operations Center in Derby.
The NSRP reactor core, main system piping and valves, large vessel, and electronic control system were all designed and supported by Rolls Royce experts. In fact, parts of the secondary equipment, such as the turbo-generator and propulsor, are also carefully inspected.
Talking about opportunities to expand the relationship, Rolls-Royce spokesman Tom Samson told the Sydney Morning Herald in this regard. "With AUKUS, Australia now has a new opportunity in front of it.
If you will embrace nuclear as part of your defense program, then you will be the only country that has done so and not fully exploited the commercial civilian nuclear program. So you have a choice now," he said.
Since the launch of HMS Valiant in 1963, Rolls Royce has supported all of the Royal Navy's attack submarines.
According to Rolls Royce, the entire Royal Navy SSBN submarine fleet is now equipped with the most advanced reactor cores. This also allows them to operate for more than 20 years without the need for refueling.
Read Also: Not Conforming to Demands, Australia Cancels Diesel-Powered Submarine Contract With France
However, it could not be independently verified whether any Rolls Royce engine prospects were being considered. Currently, the Australian nuclear submarine project is still tinged with several controversies including the absence of nuclear infrastructure in Australia.
It is still difficult for the country to obtain nuclear infrastructure. Quoted from climatecouncil.org, there are many reasons for this. First, for a nuclear power plant, this cannot be built anywhere in Australia. It is prohibited in every state, and in every territory. The ban was introduced due to public concerns about health and environmental risks.
Then, the most highlighted is that nuclear power plants are expensive and take too long to build. By far, the lowest-cost way of producing electricity is by solar and wind power.
In contrast, the cost of building and operating nuclear in Australia remains very high. In addition, Australia is one of the windiest countries on earth. With renewable energy, it is enough to mobilize resources to power the country 500 times.
In essence, nuclear power is Australia's slowest, most expensive, dangerous and inflexible form of new power generation. In addition, it is still not known how to solve this problem.