The Hindu : Five fast breeder reactors planned

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Mar 07, 2003

National

National

Five fast breeder reactors planned

By Our Special Correspondent

Coimbatore March. 6. As nuclear energy is an "inevitable option" for the sustainable development of the country, it has been planned to generate 20,000 MW by 2020. Of this, 2,500 MW will be through five fast breeder reactors, the Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, R. Chidambaram, has said.

He was talking to presspersons here today after inaugurating a national workshop on "scope of fast breeder reactors in India's future energy scenario", organised by the Kumaraguru College of Technology, and releasing a pilot project on "energy modelling" for Coimbatore district.

Dr. Chidambaram said the per capita energy consumption and female literacy were two major parameters of the development of the country. As against more than 10,000 KWH/yr of per capita consumption in developed countries, just 450 KWH/yr was being used in India. This was despite the overall consumption of 100,000 MW.

Apart from the scarcity of fossil fuel resources, global warming due to fossil fuel burning had become a major cause of concern. Construction of hydroelectric power stations had become more and more difficult due to ecological reasons. Tapping non-conventional energy sources was an option. It would be prudent to aim at the energy growth rate of at least 10 per cent per annum to meet the demand as the manufacturing sector required the maximum energy.

He was categorical that nuclear energy was becoming "increasingly important" in the sustainable development of the country. The original nuclear energy target of 10,000 MW by 2000 could not be met due to the " international regimes' technology denial in strategic areas". As on date, the total nuclear power generation was only 2,700 MW. However, "we are self-reliant both in heavy water and fast breeder reactor technology".

Dr. Chidambaram pointed out that for the sustainable development of nuclear energy, "closing of the fuel cycle (reprocessing)" was imperative in which fast breeder reactors came in handy. In the three-pronged nuclear energy generation programme involving heavy water, light water and fast breeder reactors, it had been planned to generate 20,000 MW by 2020. Eight reactors — six heavy water and two advanced light water were under construction at Koodankulam. They would generate 3,960 MW. The work would be completed by 2007-8.The ninth one would be the first fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam. Apart from the technology, even the subsystems could be produced indigenously.

Dr. Chidambaram was happy to note that the opposition to nuclear power generation had become a thing of the past. Now a number of States were for it. The performance of the reactors had also been extremely good. Even the construction time for the reactors had come down substantially. Due to the efficiency, the Nuclear Power Corporation earned a profit of Rs. 1,500 crores last year.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

National