India's Nuclear programme to meet growing energy needs

India's Nuclear programme to meet growing energy needs

The Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh said that in times to come, India’s nuclear programme is going to play a crucial role to meet the growing energy needs of the country. 

Addressing a three-day International conference on “India’s role in Global Nuclear Governance”, organized by the Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses (IDSA) here today, he said that India’s nuclear programme today is moving shoulder to shoulder with all the developed nations of the world and while the concerns are the same as those of the rest of the world, the future challenges are also the same.

 India supports the concept of global nuclear governance as a part of it is also evolving to a level of higher understanding in this country, he added.

While India has set an example for the rest of the world about how to use this nuclear programme exclusively for peaceful and developmental purposes, Dr Jitendra Singh said we are eager to cooperate with the other Nation States and civil society to raise awareness on nuclear security issues. 

The role of civil society is particularly essential in this regard and there is need for enhancing mutual confidence among nations on higher nuclear security implementation, he added.

Dr Jitendra Singh also emphasized the urgent need to start a country wide awareness campaign to educate the public about enormous peaceful benefits of nuclear energy and to clear the air about the apprehensions which sometimes come in the way of setting up of new atomic and nuclear plants under the Department of Atomic Energy. 

To effectively carry forward an awareness campaign like this, the Department of Atomic Energy solicits the support and cooperation of like-minded scientific groups, social scientists and voluntary agencies who can carry forward the message to every section of society, he added. 

The safeguards observed in our nuclear plants are as per the rules, procedures and principles laid down by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) under the Department of Atomic Energy and are among the best practices in the world, he said.

In today’s age and times, Dr Jitendra Singh said that the peaceful and constructive application of nuclear energy is widening with each passing day and nuclear energy is not only proving to be a boon in fields like medical treatment and agriculture, but is also going to be a major source of energy to meet the ever increasing demand of energy and electricity in the country.

Dr Jitendra Singh recalled that over 60 years ago, Dr Homi Bhabha had started India’s nuclear programme primarily for peaceful purposes and today we have not only vindicated Dr Homi Bhabha’s dream, but also presented a glorious example for the rest of the world. Along with solar energy, nuclear energy is going to be one of the richest resources for India as it moves ahead to become the Asian giant of 21st century, he added.

Indian Civil Nuclear Project

Indian Civil Nuclear Project

   Nuclear power is one of the major power source in India, but comes only after thermal, Hydroelectric and  renewable energy sources like wind mills and solar panels, But India Plans to increase the Nuclear based power generation to equalize the country's growing power requirement. So far India has some 22 Nuclear reactors in seven Nuclear  Power plants across India, producing estimated power output of some 6000 mega watts of electricity, recently the Russian made Reactor in Kudankulam produces nearly 1000 mega watts from it's first operational power plant, which is the highest single power plant's power production in India.

    India plans to construct more number of Reactors in Kudankulam and Rajastan with the support of Russia and France respectively, in Kudankulam government plans to construct ten bigger nuclear reactor each can produce 1000 mega watts, so far only one has operational, and the second in testing run and third is in construction stage, and in Rajastan the French backed Areva project which expected to produce 9000 mega watts of power from it's five to ten Nuclear Reactors,the project is yet to started, recently the Indian PM signs a Memorandum of understanding with the French Government and Areva company about the price negotiations for the consuming units,

   Even with the Huge numbers of Planned and operational reactors, India need huge amount of nuclear fuel that's the Uranium, despite sanctions in early 2000, India bought nuclear fuel from Russia to runs it's reactors in various plants across India, countries like Canada and Australia hold world's largest high grade uranium deposits, to import from nations who supply nuclear fuel need a authorization from Nuclear supply Group organizations and IAEA- international atomic energy corporation, after the sanctions waived  in 2008, India explored opportunities to build more advanced Reactors and buying high grade uranium from foreign suppliers,

    Later India made contracts with several countries to supply uranium, countries include Canada Australia and more, recently the Prime minister signed a contract with Kazakhstan authorizes to supply 5000 metric tons of  high grade uranium to Indian reactors.

     India also has huge uranium deposits but they were very low grade, enriching and processing those uranium makes huge cost than importing from foreign, but recently The Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research found uranium deposits around Andhra and Telangana Forests, also the analyzed report mentions that the uranium found in that forest is high grade and equals to the importing uranium's grade, so far the team estimated the uranium deposits in that area could reach more than some 50,000 metric tons.  a Single nuclear reactor which produces 700 mega watts of power needs 125 metric tons of uranium for one year.

    India recently initiated plans to build more strategic uranium reserves in India, to store more than 5000 metric tons of uranium, which supply enough uranium to Indian reactors for more than five years, India has a single Uranium reserve which is located in Hyderabad, it's expected that India will construct two more reserves in coming years.

    India has huge amount of Thorium deposits, but currently there is no working reactors which can use thorium as their fuel, the long Indian coast has a deposit of some half a million metric tons of thorium deposits, and India already initiated projects to build reactors based on thorium as their fuel, currently Kalpakkam has hosting a major works of Thorium based reactors, if those programs were Successful most Future reactors will be built by using thorium as their Fuel.

    It's expected that India can reach 30,000 mega watts of power generation through nuclear reactor by coming 2030.