Nuclear Energy and Net Zero II Symposium
Description
Following the very successful June 2024 half-day symposium on "Nuclear Energy and Net Zero" and significant global developments since then, Dr Rod Hill FTSE FRACI and Prof Geoff Fincher FAA FTSE have organised a follow-up symposium entitled "NUCLEAR ENERGY & NET ZERO II - A 2026 UPDATE".
The symposium will be held in the Adelaide University’s McLeod Lecture Theatre in the Charles Hawker Centre on Waite Road, Urrbrae on Friday 24 April 2026. We are very grateful to both the outgoing and incoming Vice-Chancellors (Professors Peter Høj and Nicola Phillips) for Adelaide University’s sponsorship of the event, including access to the venue, assistance with the generation of the registration web page and the provision of funding for interstate speakers' expenses.
The aims of the symposium are
To provide a dispassionate, apolitical and evidence-based update on the potential role of nuclear energy in achieving Australia’s Net Zero targets and
To prepare a summary of proceedings and primary outcomes for distribution to governments and other relevant parties.
Twelve invited speakers will address many areas where significant advances have been made since the June 2024 symposium. These include:
Current and planned global nuclear power generation as a component of the global energy mix in countries overseas.
Technology developments in large and small-scale reactors.
Australia’s nuclear technology and reactor operations record and its fuel cycle, including spent fuel transmutation and disposal.
Integrating nuclear energy into the electricity grid.
Nuclear power plant construction in the UK.
Analysis of popular community perceptions of nuclear and renewable systems.
The symposium will conclude with a speaker panel Q&A discussion with the audience.
Attendance
Fellows of ATSE and AAS, Faculty of Adelaide University, invited guests and other interested parties.
Cost (in person): $70 for the full conference, including refreshments, lunch and post symposium drinks
Cost (in person): $35 for half days, Morning or Afternoon Sessions.
*The morning session registration includes lunch. The afternoon session registration includes refreshments and the post-symposium discussions at the Beltana Café, but does not include lunch.
Nuclear Energy and Net Zero II A Symposium convened by Prof Geoff Fincher FAA FTSE and Dr Rod Hill FTSE FRACI FAusIMM, Sponsored by Adelaide University.
Agenda
- 9:00 am - 9:30 pm
Arrival of participants
Coffee, tea and water provided
- 9:30 am - 9:40 am
Welcome and Housekeeping
MC, Dr Leanna Read FTSE, former SA Chief Scientist and panel member of the Nuclear Fuel Cycle Royal Commission 2015/16
- 9:40 am - 10:30 am
Session 1: The quest for Net Zero: Australia in context.
Chair: Dr Leanna Read, FTSE 9:40-10:00 Scene Setting Prof Geoff Fincher FAA FTSE, former Director of the Waite Campus; former Director, ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls, and Dr Rod Hill, FTSE, FRACI, former Chief Scientist and GE for Mining, Mineral Processing and Manufacturing at CSIRO 10:00-10:30 Overview of global nuclear power generation as a component of the global energy mix in countries overseas and the forward nuclear power pipeline Dr Adi Paterson FTSE, Former CEO of ANSTO and Chair of Nuclear for Australia
- 10:30 am - 10:45 am
Coffee and Tea break
- 10:45 am - 12:15 pm
Session 2: Nuclear technology developments worldwide
Chair: Dr Leanna Read 10:45-11:15 Large-scale reactors (1-3 GW) Dr Joanne Lackenby, Director, Frazer Nash Consultancy Australia 11:15-11:45 Small and micro reactors (1-300 MW) Hon Assoc Prof Tony Irwin, Technical Director of SMR Nuclear Technology Pty Ltd 11:45-12:15 Emerging nuclear reactor systems (fusion, Th, etc) Dr Warren MacKenzie, MD HB11 Energy
- 12:15 pm - 1:00 pm
Lunch - in the Beltana Café (adjacent to the McLeod Theatre)
- 1:00 pm - 3:00 pm
Session 3: The Australian perspective
Chair: Dr Leanna Read 1:00-1:30 Australia’s nuclear technology and reactor operations record, including waste transmutation and disposal Dr Miles Apperley, GE Nuclear Operations, Safety and Security, ANSTO 1:30-2:00 Integrating nuclear into the grid. Robert Barr, Director of Electric Power Consulting Pty Ltd and past National President of the Electric Energy Society of Australia 2:00-2:30 Australia’s nuclear fuel cycle and its competitive advantages Jasmin Diab, MD Global Nuclear Security Partners and President of Women in Nuclear Australia) 2:30-3:00 Nuclear power plant construction in the UK (and Australia?) Peter Anusas, F Inst Civil Eng (UK), GM Empower Advisory (BMD Group Australia)
- 3:00 pm - 3:15 pm
Coffee and Tea break
- 3:15 pm - 4:45 pm
Session 4: Wrap up and next steps
Chair: Dr Leanna Read 3:15-3:45 How do popular perceptions of nuclear and renewable systems stand up to analysis? Dr Rod Hill, FTSE, FRACI, former CSIRO Chief Scientist and GE for Mining, Mineral Processing and Energy Technology 3:45-4:45 Speaker Panel discussion with Q&A Facilitator: Dr Kirsty Braybon, Principal, Braybon Advisory and inaugural Head of Legal for the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency.
- 4:45 pm - 4:50 pm
Thank you and Close
Dr Leanna Read, FTSE
- 4:50 pm - 5:30 pm
Informal discussion over drinks and canapes – Beltana Cafe
All welcome
Invited Speaker Bios
Dr Leanna Read FTSE, FAICD - MC for the Symposium
Dr Leanna Read has broad-ranging executive, board and investment experience in health translation and in a range of technology-based enterprises, particularly biotechnology. In 2018 Leanna completed a four-year term as Chief Scientist for South Australia and has held positions on the Federal Government IR&D Board, the SA Economic Development Board, the SA Science Council and the University of South Australia Council. She is currently a member of the Adelaide University Transition Council. Leanna has been the recipient of a number of prestigious local and national awards, including the inaugural Biotechnology Industry Service Award by the Australian Biotechnology Association (now AusBiotech); a Centenary Medal for services to the Industry R&D Board; the 2006 SA Premier’s Award for Science, Technology and Innovation Management Excellence; and was the 2006 South Australian of the Year (Science and Technology). Leanna was the 2011 Central Region winner of the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year (Technology). She has honorary doctorates from the University of SA and the University of Adelaide.
Prof Geoff Fincher AO FAA FTSE - "Scene Setting"
Geoff was Founding Director of the ARC Centre of Excellence in Plant Cell Walls (2011–14), Cluster Leader of the CSIRO Food Futures Flagship on ‘High Fibre Grains’ (2011–13), Deputy CEO of the Australian Centre for Plant Functional Genomics (2003–10), Director of the Waite Campus of the University of Adelaide (2003–10), and Consultant to the Carlsberg Research Laboratory in Copenhagen (2015-25). His academic honours include the 2013 Thomas Burr Osborne Medal of the American Association of Cereal Chemists International (2013), Corresponding Member, American Society of Plant Biology (2010), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Technological Sciences and Engineering (2014), Fellow of the Australian Academy of Science (2016), and Order of Australia (2017).
Dr Adi Paterson AM FTSE - Talk Title: “Overview of global nuclear power generation”
Former CEO of ANSTO and Chair of the advocacy group Nuclear for Australia. Adi obtained a PhD in Engineering from the University of Cape Town. He served as Executive VP at South Africa’s CSIR and in 2001 took a position at the Department of Science and Technology before becoming GM of Business Development Operations at the Pebble Bed Modular Reactor Company in South Africa. He was CEO at ANSTO from 2009 to 2020. He was recognized as Professional Engineer of the Year by the Sydney Division of Engineers Australia in 2012. He is an advocate for nuclear industrial development in Australia.
Dr Joanne Lackenby - Talk Title: "Large scale reactors (1-3 GW)”
Jo has 18 years' experience in the civilian and defence nuclear sectors in Australia, the majority at the OPAL research reactor at ANSTO specialising in nuclear safety, licensing and regulation. She is currently a Director at Frazer-Nash Consultancy where she applies her nuclear expertise to a range of projects across Australia. Jo is a TEDxSydney speaker and has a mission to increase public understanding of the benefits and potential of peaceful nuclear technologies. She is a previous President of the Australian Nuclear Association Inc. and Women in Nuclear Australia Inc. She holds degrees in environmental and geotechnical engineering.
Hon Assoc Prof Tony Irwin C.Eng FIEAust, MIET FAIE - Talk Title: “Small and micro reactors (1-300 MW)”
Technical Director of SMR Nuclear Technology Pty Ltd, an Australian company advising on nuclear power development. Tony has commissioned and operated over 8 nuclear reactors for British Energy and is the Technical Director of SMR Nuclear Technology Pty Ltd. He took a position with ANSTO in 1999, where he remained for ten years and became the first reactor manager for OPAL. He chairs the Nuclear Engineering Panel of Engineers Australia and lectures on nuclear science at the ANU (where he is an Honorary Associate Professor) and the University of Sydney. He has a degree in electrical power engineering.
Dr Warren MacKenzie FRS(NSW) - Talk Title: “Emerging nuclear reactor systems (fusion, Th, etc)”
Warren is Founder and MD of HB11 Energy, which is developing fusion as a safe, green baseload power source while commercialising core fusion technologies. He has a PhD in Materials Science / Nanotechnology and a Masters in Commerce (Finance) from UNSW and has held post doctorate research positions at Trinity College in Dublin and the University of NSW (Materials Science and Nanotechnology). His research interests include nanotechnology, metallurgy, electron microscopy and the commercialisation of scientific ventures. He is an Endeavour Fellow, having won an Executive Fellowship, to Silicon Valley to learn how nanotechnology facilities seeded the semiconductor industry. He has supported the establishment of several science-based start-ups: Indee Labs, Advanced Alloy Holdings, HB11 Energy and UniLab.
Dr Miles Apperley GAICD - Talk Title: “70 years of nuclear stewardship in Australia”
As GE Nuclear Operations, Safety and Security at ANSTO, Miles has responsibility for all nuclear operations, including reactor operations and waste management, high reliability (safety), nuclear security, nuclear safeguards and nuclear stewardship. He has more than 35 years of experience in strategic planning and leadership of science and technology research infrastructure networks and collaborations between government, industry, and universities. He has a Bachelor of Metallurgical Engineering and a PhD from the University of New South Wales. He has extensive industry-based R&D experience in collaboration with universities, national laboratories and government agencies and has completed an Advanced Certificate in Management, Innovation and Technology from MIT. security, nuclear safeguards and nuclear stewardship.
Dr Robert Barr AM FEngAust - Talk Title: “Integrating nuclear into the grid”
Robert is a consulting engineer, director of his company Electric Power Consulting Pty Ltd, and past National President of the Electric Energy Society of Australia. He has over 47 years’ experience in the field of power systems and distribution. He is a Fellow of Engineers Australia, Member of Consult Australia, Australian National Professional Electrical Engineer of the year in 2012, awarded Member of the Order of Australia in 2013 for significant service to engineering, particularly electrical energy supply and distribution, and is an Honorary Professorial Fellow at the University of Wollongong. Since establishing Electric Power Consulting Pty Ltd in 1989, Robert has provided specialised electrical engineering consulting services across all Australian states and territories and overseas.
Jasmin Diab FEngAust - Talk Title: “Australia’s nuclear fuel cycle and its competitive advantages”
Jasmin is MD of Global Nuclear Security Partners and Former President of Women in Nuclear (WiN) Australia. She has a Master of Nuclear Engineering and is a nuclear security specialist with decades of experience in the Australian nuclear scene. She is an advocate for the education and engagement on nuclear science and technology as Australians grapple with climate change. She is the Oceania representative on the WiN Global executive, a member of ARPANSA Nuclear Safety Committee and a 2025/26 Superstars of STEM candidate. She is the inaugural recipient of the 2024 Charles Curtis Award for Excellence in Nuclear Security from the World Institute of Nuclear Security for being active and passionate in the advocacy and education of peaceful nuclear technologies. She is a certified nuclear security professional, a Fellow with Engineers Australia, has a Bachelor of Science in physics and chemistry, a Masters in Defence and Military Studies, and a Masters in Engineering Science (Nuclear Engineering).
Peter Anusas FICivEng (UK) - Talk Title: “Nuclear power plant construction in the UK (and Australia?)”
Peter is Fellow of the Institution of Civil Engineers (UK) and General Manager for Empower Advisory (part of BMD Group Australia) providing expert construction services to the Nuclear Sector in UK and Australia. With a background in nuclear construction and a long history in the UK construction industry, Peter has been instrumental in major projects and has recently returned to BMD to focus on the future growth of the business.
Dr Rod Hill FTSE FRACI FAusIMM FMSA - Talk Title: “Popular perceptions of nuclear and renewable energy”
Rod is a retired CSIRO Chief Research Scientist and Group Executive for Mineral Exploration & Mining, Mineral Processing, Petroleum Resources, Energy Technology, Industrial Physics, and Manufacturing. He is also a former Pro Vice Chancellor for Industry Engagement and Commercialisation at Monash University. He has PhD and DSc degrees from the University of Adelaide in crystallography, crystal chemistry and mineralogy. He has published widely in the international literature in the primary areas of crystal structure systematics and chemical bonding in silicate minerals and energy storage materials, and X-ray and neutron diffraction data collection and crystal structure refinement. The mineral “Hillite” was named after him in 2003. He has been chair of the SA&NT Division of ATSE since 2024.
Kirsty Braybon - Facilitator of the Panel Q&A Session
Kirsty Braybon is a lawyer with extensive experience across the nuclear, energy, resources, and government sectors. She is the Principal of Braybon Advisory, where she provides legal, policy, commercial, and strategic advice to government and industry. Prior to this, she was the inaugural Head of Legal for the Australian Radioactive Waste Agency. Kirsty is an Adjunct Lecturer in Nuclear Law at Adelaide University, focusing on regulatory frameworks for Australia’s future nuclear-powered submarines, designed for legal, policy, defence, and commercial professionals. She held a senior legal role in the SA Department for Energy and Mining, where she advised on policy, regulation and led the complete legislative rewrite of South Australia’s mining laws. She is a board member of Nuclear for Australia, the Adelaide University Law School Advisory Board and a Committee Member of the South Australian Radiation Protection Committee. She is an award-winning author and presenter. She holds a Master of Laws and Higher Degree by Research from the University of Western Australia, and a Graduate Diploma of International Nuclear Law from the University of Montpellier.
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