The Minerals Council of Australia has called for the country's prohibition on nuclear power to be lifted. But both critics and supporters see little future for large-scale nuclear power in Australia’s energy mix.

The man who once famously called for 50 nuclear reactors across Australia, nuclear physicist and NBN chairman Ziggy Switkowski, says "the window for gigawatt-scale nuclear has closed".

Ziggy Switkowski says the window for gigawatt-scale nuclear has closed. Credit:Luis Ascui

A lack of public support and any actual proposals for a nuclear plant had resulted in government inertia, he said on Thursday.

"Government won’t move until a real business case is presented and none has been, to my knowledge, and there aren’t votes in trying to lead the debate," he said, adding that renewables were now a more economically viable choice.