As a clean energy source, nuclear power is best suited to gradually replace coal for India’s core energy demand.
Why is current scenario of nuclear energy in India?
The total installed capacity of the reactors operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is just 6,780 MW—a little over 2% of power generated from all sources in the country.
In a bid to improve these numbers, the Union cabinet, approved the construction of 10 nuclear reactors that are expected to add 7,000 MW to India’s nuclear capacity.
This is the first time that 10 reactors have been approved in one go and also this initiative gives domestic suppliers sufficient scale to operate on, thus decreasing their costs.
The indigenous push will also eschew the problems related to nuclear liability law that the foreign reactor builders persistently complain about.
An additional 6,700 MW will be added by reactors already under construction.
There have also been reports indicating that India has been delaying the signing of the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Russia on the construction of reactor units 5 and 6 at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
New Delhi has reportedly made the signing contingent on Moscow being able to persuade Beijing on India’s entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).
What are the issues involved in indigenization?
All the 10 reactors the cabinet has recently approved for construction are pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs).
Even though the PHWRs are expensive, the department of atomic energy persists with them because it lacks the expertise required to build and operate cheaper light-water reactors (LWRs).
The imported LWRs are more expensive than the domestically built PHWRs.
Another problem to indigenization is the concerns about safety of nuclear reactors.
Population against nuclear reactors cite falling costs and increasing capacities of solar and wind power as against the rising costs and safety concerns of nuclear power.
Unless cheaper storage options are discovered, neither solar nor wind energy can meet India’s base load demand.
As a clean energy source, nuclear is best suited to gradually replace coal, especially at a time when the government is simultaneously trying to reduce peak demand—the monumental programme to replace wasteful old lamps by 770 million LED bulbs is a case in point.
Hydropower is another option for base load but like nuclear power it too has met with resistance from activists around the world, including in India.
Becoming experts in building nuclear reactors will also help India export such reactors adding more Forex in exchange.
