Nice post! Nuclear energy is a controversial topic. I feel that if handled with very strict regulatory measures regarding safety and maintainance, then nuclear energy can be a good alternative to the conventional means of energy.

i don’t think india is in position to handle all the risks associated with nuclear energy. first, the country’s political and regulatory system has to be updated to deal with nuclear enegry-it is not a simple energy project.

Well Bhumika it’s questionable whether we are in a position or not, but I know India is targeting to scale up the nuclear capacity by 5 times till 2020. For that India has struck nuclear deals with 9 different countries, with the Indo-U.S. deal being the most potential contributor. If safety is assured, then I don’t think there is any harm with this clean enrgy source.

Thanks gorky and Bhumika for your comments!! I would not be biased whether to go for nuclear or no. For me I accept that nuclear can be a potential source of energy, but as Bhumika mentioned India with its high priorities of development and lack of capacities to handle this technology - these aspects would be a big backlogs for the nuclear development. Also when we are aiming for energy through solar and wind which are far means of cheaper and safer, I think nuclear is not only the option. What do you say guys????

Pursuing a nationwide grid of nuclear powered grid in India will be a mistake for its own people and world at large.

Nuclear is not the only option, you’re right. But if India is gearing up for such large scale expansion, then surely it would know its capabilites and risks involved. Nuclear energy would contribute 10% of entire energy production in 2020 compared to 3% now. It should be taken up as another form of clean energy and should not be differentiated, unless the risks involved and the scope are not well researched.

@Gorky: Nuclear is clean? I think Nuclear is a clean evening dress with dirty underwear. What is the technology you expect in India? Thermo-nuclear, right? The usual nuclear fission plants generate plutonium isotopes as radioactive waste in the order of tons. Does anyone gurantee a fail-safe disposal of it? A few miligrams of it can wipe out a whole city in a single day. The half life period is 500,000 years. That means it remains potent for such risk for thousands of generations! What moral right does anybody have to take that decision of nuclear power in a country that has 15% of world population?
Large scale expansion is alright. But such expansion following the dirty models of waste is seriously questionable. If we dream to be the super power, let the path be original, innovative and unique. India is possibly the first in the ancient history to have the concept of welfare state (Asoka) with peaceful co-existence, first to have a finacial and economic stalwart (Chanakya), India is world’s largest democracy (despite everything), do we have to be rich and affluent oil-mafia style?
Can someone tell me what is the research funding of India for alternative energy? Geo-thermal. wave, ocean, solar and wind? Can someone tell me why BARC has to stop research on cold fusion (LENR)?

Well Pabitra despite all these disadvantages, at present around 14% of the world’s energy and 3% of India’s energy is produced by it. India is setting up 4 more power plants and is in talks for more. If France is producing 76% of its total energy safely by it, India can produce at least 10% of its own. We are doing it for ourselves. If India develops enough solar, wind and geo-thermal energies to sustain then it’s celebration time for us. But at the present rate it would take some time. So while we work on it, we can take some load off coal and oil and move on with nuclear energy. Im with all forms of clean energies and if planned well by the scientists, as it is being now, then even disposing it off is not a big deal. It provides huge power, so it would come with some problems. But if we focus on working it, ensuring we would not be harmed in any way, then it is good for us. And countries around the world, India included, are realising it and are moving forward. And if that is mafia-style my friend, then are all the major economies in the world mafias! And regarding the BARC research, then around 1990 if I’m not wrong, the topic was not as developed as it is now, and so under public pressure, the research had to be stopped. Now when Congress went ahead with the nuclear deal, though some opposition was there, still it managed to move ahead. It shows the change that has come in. I still feel that regarding this topic every person will have different views and every view is correct in his or her own opinion. It’s complicated you know!

Thank you for updating us about Nuclear Energy in India! Really crazy

Komali you have given a nice view on nuclear energy. Very few research are available in Indian region. what about nuclear waste management which has not talked about much in the market at present in India??!!

Dear Guys!! Thank you very much for your valuable comments. I think the Nuclear issue on a whole raise several other important issues which are added to it.
@ gaurav: yes, it is very true that India still do not have the capacity for nuclear waste management. Infact, when India do not have the full capacities for solid waste management itself, I don’t think we are in a position to develop management systems for nuclear waste.

@pabitra: funding for alternatives forms of energy are many. For ex, especially for RE there are several multilateral organisation like International Finance corporation, KfW, ADB, REEEP etc. There are also MNRE small scale funds for solar and wind energy research. Please go through my other posts for finance for RETs

I am not for ‘copy-paste’ technology. I have general reservation against any nuke-power, except possibly nuclear medicine. Reasons are multifarious. First off, in the long term nuclear energy is not clean and way more dangerous than fosil-fuel based energy. Secondly, as you said, nuclear waste disposal framework in India is non-existant. Third, India’s population density is added risk for a screw-up. Fourth, large-scale production of nuclear power for commercial purpose in India is questionable, its costlier, so less market-friendly.
I am fully aware about India’s energy demands. Problem is: the country that you are presently in has wasted a huge and unfair chunk of ‘carbon-space’already and now that suspended carbon is around 392 ppm, we are in a fix.
Back home in India, we should have enough innovation and management skills to prevent wastage of energy first and invest heavily on alternative sources of energy. I feel frustrated about stoppage of BARC’s research on cold fusion.

correction:
Sorry, I thought you are in US. Since you are not, please forgive me and read accordingly.

Nice Post Komali!

@ Pabitra than you for your valuable comments and I entirely first the issues you have raised. Though I am not in US, and in UK I think all these developed countries are in the same boat. I do understand your frustration about it and completely agree with you.

I have a different point of view. Saying ‘no’ to nuclear energy is as good as saying ‘no’ to development of the economy in order to protect some trees, flora and fauna. Its like one has to trade off between growth and business as is. Looking at the 3-stage nuclear program that India is following, I believe we’ll be better off by adopting nuclear technology for power. This is beneficial for the energy security for our future generations too.
I appreciate your number work.

@Anushka: Thank you!! Though you rightly mentioned, that we need to have development, I don’t see development as a replacement for environment. I think both should go hand in hand that is where the concept of sustainable development would peep in. As u mentioned, through we could address our long term energy issues through nuclear energy, dont you see the logn term effects also? Do we need to see one more chernobyl case?

@Anushka: I am not rigid in my position. I shall reveiew if you let me know the following:
1. What is this 3-stage nuclear program?
2. What about nuclear waste management plans?
3. What is developement? More money in pockets of select few with no or endangered long time future of a vast population?

I have no reservation against India’s poor aspiring for a better life. That’s their right. What about talent, ingenuity and innovation to do it Indian way?

By the way, I am one of India’s middle income group. I am NOT rich and I can put up a list of luxeries of life I can cliam as my right. I just find that seriously foolish when I look at Climate Change.

But there are unresolved challenges in long-term management of radioactive wastes and Geological disposal is technically feasible but execution is yet to be demonstrated. Closed Fuel Cycle may minimize waste problem but is presently more expensive. The current reprocessing system involving separation and recycling of
plutonium presents unwarranted proliferation risks especially as nuclear power spreads around the world. While India is self-sufficient in thorium, possessing 25% of the world’s known and economically viable thorium, it possesses a meager 1% of global uranium reserves. There are estimate for 275,000 MWe in 2050 for India through Nuclear power plants. For 1000 MWe 25 tonnes UO2 require, which generate 1 tone high level waste i.e. 275 tonne waste is highly radioactive waste will generate in India.

..“In stage is PHWR, stage-II is FBR and stage-III is called AHWR. India’s has world’s 25% thorium resources. Globally used technology is fast breed reactors. But India’s unique process is Thorium based reactors, which uses U233 and thorium as fuel, which is economically available in India. Through this process we are able to achieve more energy output through the use of same quantity of Uranium which we would buy from outer world.About waste management, I think Mr Gaurav’s calculations are correct and definitely we need to plan for that before we install it through policy and technology interventions. And off-course Nuclear power plant are less emitting than traditional coal fired plants.”

Climate Change controversy taught us few things apart from anthopogenic CO2 emissions leading to increase in GHGs and thereby causing global warming. These are:
1. Climate is a far too sensitive system than we previously thought it to be.
2. Climate Change can be caused by human activity.
3. Rate of Climate Change is way faster than statistically predicted.

Logically the lesson is implementation of a technology whose long term effects have not been evaluated with extreme caution can lead us to astrey.

I have no idea what are PHWR, FBR and AHWR, I guess most do not. What I understand and hope many do fairly easily is that the substance of your and Gourav’s comments hardly make nuclear power in India any better choice than ‘coal’, unless one fevors a sudden catastrophic radiation death to slow inundation of land mass under rising sea and choking to death.

And that too for a growth model which is already crumbling in the West.

Thanks for keeping us updated on Nuclear Energy in India. Very interesting info!

Thank You very much for your updates on the current ongoings in the field of nuclear development in India. But I think India do not have the capacities for tackling the issues that would arise from the nuclear energy. What is your opinion on this?

@ Mrs Wagner: Thank you very much for reading the post.

@Phani: You have truly mentioned that India has no capacities for tackling the future issues that would arise from nuclear energy development. This gives the picture of offside of nuclear energy. I hope the discussion that others have mentioned is very true and supports the sentence that India lack the know-how, knowledge and expertise in this field.

My dynamic energy analysis of 24000 MW Indian Nuclear Programme shows that even after 28 years of the programme, the net energy output to society other than for n-construction is negative at 67% plant factor and 24 % tand D losses. The net capacity similarly available to society is zero. See http://energyauditnuclearprogrammeindia.blogspot.com/
This therefore represents a waste of resources resulting in pauperisation of India and the World.

Thanks Ramaswami, your blog is very informative. It will really come handy for me to engage the nuke-power supporters!

Dear Ramaswami, that was a very informative blog!! I was just wondering where could you get these numbers? I was also wondering when India is heading with solar energy which is a safest and cheapest form of energy in a great deal, why it is investing in Nuclear energy which has much murky side than better sides?

Re Yenetti’s comment: Please be specific on which numbers you are wanting to know about. Yet the moment I may say that you may find the nuclear topics in my complete profile useful. There are many exercises in World making but Indisa and the world would do well in cahnaging life style, not climate. see for example http://isothermalengines.blogspot.com