Opposition Leader Peter Dutton is poised to reveal electorates where the Coalition would build nuclear reactors if it wins the next federal election.

Dutton is expected to announce proposed sites for nuclear power plants under the Coalition’s controversial energy policy on Wednesday.

The locations had been kept secret even from Coalition members. But MPs from electorates that could potentially host the reactors have reportedly been briefed.

Dutton called a snap meeting on Tuesday night where shadow cabinet was partly briefed. Members are expected to give the nuclear policy the green light on Wednesday.

The Australian says the nuclear plants would be Commonwealth-owned and operated under similar schemes to those overseeing Snowy Hydro and the NBN.

The newspaper revealed in February that seven proposed sites were expected to be in Coalition-held areas.

These were the Latrobe Valley in Victoria, the Hunter Valley in NSW, Collie in Western Australia, Port Augusta in South Australia, and Queensland’s electorate of Maranoa, held by Nationals leader David Littleproud.

Meanwhile Guardian Australia is reporting that Queensland could play a major role as a nuclear base, with two locations at existing power sites at Tarong in Nanango, and Gladstone under consideration.

Dutton will hold a press conference on Wednesday alongside Littleproud and deputy Liberal leader Sussan Ley.

Dutton has said he will oppose Australia’s legally binding 2030 climate target, a 43 per cent emissions reduction on 2005 levels, if he is elected.

The Coalition remains committed to reaching net-zero emissions by 2050, senior party members have said.

‘Dangerous distraction’

However, a new feasibility report has found nuclear power is a “dangerous distraction” to Australia’s renewable energy transition because it would take too long and cost too much to build.

Even if nuclear restrictions were lifted tomorrow, it would still be at least 20 years before a reactor could be operational, the paper released by the Australian Conservation Foundation says.

By that time, all or nearly all Australia’s remaining coal-fired power plants will be closed, meaning carbon emissions-intensive fossil fuels will likely have to be prolonged.

Even ignoring the lead time required to establish a nuclear industry, it would be unable to compete financially with renewables and require taxpayer subsidies worth tens or hundreds of billions of dollars.

Another hurdle is convincing Australians nuclear poses no safety risk.

Major insurers, including AAMI, Allianz and NRMA, specifically exclude coverage to homes, cars or possessions from nuclear accidents.

“Proposals to introduce nuclear power to Australia make no sense,” concludes the ACF report, which was led by anti-nuclear campaigner Jim Green and released on Wednesday.

The paper was written in response to the Coalition plan to replace coal-fired power stations with nuclear, rather than relying on increased investment in renewable energy and storage to reach net zero.

Dutton argues baseload nuclear is necessary to achieve the energy transition without sacrificing affordability or reliability.

“I want to make sure that we’ve got renewables in the system,” he said on Tuesday.

“I’m happy for batteries, but we can’t pretend that batteries can provide the storage.

“We need to make sure that as we decarbonise and as the economy transitions, that we do it in a sensible way.”

The latest edition of the benchmark GenCost report, released by the CSIRO and Australian Energy Market Operator in May, found the cost of building a large-scale nuclear power plant would be at least $8.5 billion. Dutton has dismissed that report as “discredited”.

-with AAP