The Hindu : National : India has nuclear technology foresight: Chidambaram

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jul 15, 2004

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National

India has nuclear technology foresight: Chidambaram

By T.S. Subramanian

CHENNAI, JULY 14. The growth of nuclear energy in the future will be the fastest in India and China because the maximum energy demand will be from them, R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Advisor to the Government of India, said here today.

Twenty-seven nuclear reactors were under construction in different countries now. Of them, India had the highest number — nine. When completed these would together generate 4,460 MWe.

While India would generate 20,000 MWe of nuclear power by 2020, China would generate between 32,000 MWe and 40,000 MWe.

Dr. Chidambaram, who gave a talk on ``Nuclear Energy — the Indian Perspective'' here today, said the country's nuclear energy programme was totally self-reliant.

Its ``nuclear technology foresight'' had four components — a three-stage programme for generation of nuclear electricity; acquisition of a credible, minimum nuclear deterrent; using atomic energy spin-offs in agriculture, healthcare and industry; and development of major research facilities.

``We have a comprehensive capability in the entire nuclear fuel cycle,'' he said.

The lecture was part of an awareness programme on ``Applications of Radio-isotopes and Radiation Technology for Societal Development,'' organised by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and the Anna University.

Dr. Chidambaram, a former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, said the country's 14 reactors were now operating at their highest capacity factor. The gestation period of nuclear reactors had come down from seven years to five years and a half because the Indian industry's potential to meet the demands of nuclear power projects had gone up.

Construction time was now shorter because the reactor design was being repeated.

The interest paid during construction was low because the Indian rupee was strong. ``So nuclear power is becoming more and more competitive,'' Dr. Chidambaram said.

S.K. Sharma, Vice-Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, said Dr. Chidambaram played a leading role in the design and execution of the peaceful nuclear experiment in 1974 and led the DAE team that designed the five nuclear devices tested in 1998.

The Anna University Vice-Chancellor, E. Balagurusamy, praised Dr. Chidambaram's contribution.

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