Nuclear technology giant Westinghouse sees the retirement of old coal-fired power plants in Australia as an opportunity for nuclear power and is positioning itself early to inform the political and public debate.

In Sydney to announce a tie-up with three local suppliers, Westinghouse chief executive Danny Roderick said the Japanese-owned company "wants to make sure that the facts are out there" on the safety of new-generation nuclear reactors.

Some of Australia's largest coal fired power plants will need to be replaced within the next 10 years, says Westinghouse. Credit:Bloomberg

He said that convincing the 8 per cent of the Australian public that is undecided about nuclear power would create "an overwhelming majority of people in Australia that would support a nuclear new-build".

The company, part of Toshiba Corporation, already has strong links with uranium suppliers in Australia, and sees the latest step as "a very logical fit" to build on those and explore local manufacturing capacity for a new reactor.