Tony Irwin is an Australian nuclear engineer and technical director of Australian company, SMR Nuclear Technology. For three decades he worked commissioning and operating nuclear reactors in the UK for British Energy (formerly the Central Electricity Generating Board). He emigrated to Australia in 1999 and took a position with the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (ANSTO), where he remained for ten years. Irwin chairs the Nuclear Engineering Panel of

Engineers Australia Engineers Australia (EA), known formally as the Institution of Engineers, Australia, is an Australian professional body and Non-profit organization, not-for-profit organisation whose purpose is to advance the science and practice of engineerin ...

and lectures at the

Australian National University The Australian National University (ANU) is a public university, public research university and member of the Group of Eight (Australian universities), Group of Eight, located in Canberra, the capital of Australia. Its main campus in Acton, A ...

and

University of Sydney The University of Sydney (USYD) is a public university, public research university in Sydney, Australia. Founded in 1850, it is the oldest university in both Australia and Oceania. One of Australia's six sandstone universities, it was one of the ...

on nuclear science. Irwin has a degree in electrical power engineering.

Nuclear power advocacy

Irwin is an advocate for nuclear power in Australia and has recommended the deployment of small modular reactors, provided that legislation can be changed to allow for it. In 2014 he told the media:

"Small modular reactors with their natural safety based on passive safety systems using gravity, natural circulation and pressurised tanks, represent a game-changer that is particularly suitable for Australian conditions."

He has argued in ''Mining Australia'' that climate change should lead Australia to reconsider nuclear power as an alternative to burning fossil fuels to generate electricity. He has featured in media reports on nuclear technology and provided commentary to the Australian Science Media Centre in response to the

Fukushima nuclear disaster The Fukushima nuclear accident was a major nuclear accident at the Fukushima Daiichi Nuclear Power Plant in Ōkuma, Fukushima, Japan, which began on 11 March 2011. The cause of the accident was the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, which ...

. He has given public presentations and lectures on SMRs and nuclear power, including some at which opposing viewpoints were presented by anti-nuclear advocates such as Ian Lowe. In 2011 Irwin contributed a chapter on small modular reactors to ''Australia's nuclear options'', a policy perspective document for the Committee for Economic Development of Australia.

Memberships

Irwin is a member of the Institution of Engineers Australia and of the UK

Institution of Engineering and Technology The Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET) is a multidisciplinary professional engineering institution. The IET was formed in 2006 from two separate institutions: the Institution of Electrical Engineers (IEE), dating back to 1871,Engin ...

, a fellow of the Australian Institute of Energy, and chairman of the Nuclear Engineering Panel of the

Sydney Sydney is the capital city of the States and territories of Australia, state of New South Wales and the List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city in Australia. Located on Australia's east coast, the metropolis surrounds Syd ...

division of

. He is a member of ARPANSA's Nuclear Safety Committee.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Irwin, Tony Living people Nuclear engineers Australian engineers Year of birth missing (living people) British emigrants to Australia