Report of Indian Nuclear Society-TERI NATIONAL WORKSHOP
“Nuclear Energy Development in India: addressing climate change, public perception and large scale deployment”; New Delhi, 13 August 2009
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Nuclear Energy has the potential to be a reliable, sustainable and environment friendly energy source that can contribute to the accessibility of affordable energy services in all interested countries for present and future generations. Any use of nuclear energy should be beneficial, responsible and sustainable, with due regard to the protection of people and the environment, non-proliferation, and security.
----International Atmoic Energy Agency Handbook of Nuclear Energy Basic Principles
While giving inaugeral address, Dr. R. Chidambaram, Principal Scientific Adviser to PM said, "Nuclear renaissance in the recent times is driven by Climate Change threat. Mitigation technologies like nuclear, hydro, renewable, energy efficiency practices along with new age techniques of Carbon capture & storage along with Integrated Gasification are responsible for creating new possibilities towards achieving target to stop the global warming increase by 2 degree centigrade which will be topic of much awaited discussion in coming Copenhagen negotiations on Climate Change. It is the projection of International Atomic Energy Agency Nuclear energy generation capacity must grow by 80% upto 2030. (World Nuclear Association, 2008) So, contemporary outlook established by Technology Foresight predictions say that Nuclear Energy is the way forward in ending the problem of depleting fossil fuel resources when the utilization of those is becoming more and more expensive.
Despite past evidences based on two accidents of Three Mile Islands and Chernobyl, whole world is realizing to end the long lasting ban on Nuclear Energy projects because of ascending significance of it`s long lasting low operational cost and less per unit energy cost. The urge to invest more and more in nuclear energy was the principle reason behind the recent initiatives taken by western world in forging new partnerships for adapting Knowledge Management practices to the very complex, strategic and high ended nuclear technologies. Most recently countries who were most critical about going nuclear. ”
Recent Nuclear Technology Review Report, 2009 by DG, International Atomic Energy Agency vindicates what Dr. Chidambaram was saying:
“Also in Europe, the United Kingdom published a White Paper in January 2008 that stressed that it was in the public interest for nuclear energy to continue to form part of the United Kingdom’s low carbon energy mix in order to help meet carbon reduction targets and ensure secure energy supplies. Several European utilities expressed interest in building new reactors in the UK. Italy decided to start negotiations with French government to acquire, build, operate and generate energy from Nuclear power plants. This lead towards Italy announcing plans for re-establishing the legal, regulatory and technical infrastructure necessary to restart its nuclear power programme, which had been shut down following a referendum in 1987. A bill overturning the nuclear moratorium was approved by the lower chamber of the Parliament in early November. In Romania, partners signed an investment agreement to finance construction of Cernavoda-3 and -4. In Bulgaria, partners signed contracts for the construction of Belene-1 and -2. In Finland, Teollisuuden Voima Oyj (TVO) applied to the Council of State for approval in principle to build Olkiluoto-4, and two further applications are being prepared by other companies. In Switzerland, Atel, Axpo and BKW FMB Energy have submitted applications to build new nuclear power plants in Niederamt, Beznau and Gösgen. In Slovakia, Slovenské elektrárne launched a tender for the resumption of construction at Mochovce-3 and -4.”
Dr. R.K. Pauchauri, DG, TERI and Chairperson IPCC said,
“ Skeptics still question the validity of claims behind the climate change. Climate change is reality. Every government on planet has recognized the need of having a comprehensive understanding about the implications of Climate Change which can also be attributed to the disruptive changes in environment. The world global warming is being attributed only in terms of temperature rise and having impact over sea glaciers resulting in melting and sea level rise. But there are different dimensions of Climate Change; drought, intense winter, El-Nino and enormous other catastrophes.
The kind of regional diversity we witness in our country is challenge to understand the local implications of human induced intervention in climate. Considering the vast diversity, there is need of at least 20 study groups which will rigorously map the coming scenario of environment and suggesting the local action for effects arising due to global problem. Looking towards enormous level of scientific-governmental efforts needed to reduce the degree of vulnerability it is very very important to start active communication with society.”
Dr. S. K. Sinha, Director, Reactor Design & Development Group & Design, Manufacturing & Automation Group, BARC said,
“India has mastered the Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle in nuclear reactor and country can become world leader in this area inspired by Three Stage Nuclear program. For many years opposing nuclear energy was principle identity of being a committed environmentalist. But now no more ! We are already enjoying the fruits of the first generation India has chalked out a nuclear power program based on its domestic resource position of uranium and thorium.
The first stage started with setting up the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) based on natural uranium and pressure tube technology. In the second phase, the fissile material base will be multiplied in Fast Breeder Reactors using the plutonium obtained from the PHWRs. Considering the large thorium reserves in India, the future nuclear power program will be based on thorium–233U fuel cycle. However, there is a need for the timely development of thorium-based technologies for the entire fuel cycle. The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) has been designed to fulfill this need. The AHWR is a 300 MWe, vertical, pressure tube type, heavy water moderated, boiling light water cooled natural circulation reactor. The fuel consists of (Th–Pu)O2 and (Th–233U)O2 pins. The fuel cluster is designed to generate maximum energy out of 233U, which is bred in situ from thorium and has a slightly negative void coefficient of reactivity.
For the AHWR, the well-proven pressure tube technology has been adopted and many passive safety features, consistent with the international trend, have been incorporated. A distinguishing feature which makes this reactor unique, from other conventional nuclear power reactors is the fact that it is designed to remove core heat by natural circulation, under normal operating conditions, eliminating the need of pumps. In addition to this passive feature, several innovative passive safety systems have been incorporated in the design, for decay heat removal under shut down condition and mitigation of postulated accident conditions. The design of the reactor has progressively undergone modifications and improvements based on the feedbacks from the analytical and the experimental R&D. This paper gives the details of the current design of the AHWR.”
When asked about what special efforts are being taken to address the upcoming need of human resources in view to aggressively go ahead with third stage of nuclear power programe he said:
“Research and development in the field of cutting edge nuclear technologies have to be necessarily based on elaborate programmes, and the velocity of such R&D is strongly dependent on the level of inputs of our limited resources to such programmes, in competition with other shorter term priorities. Recognising this, and the fact that India has to be in the lead as far as the development and deployment of thorium utilisation technologies are concerned, an early beginning in this direction has already been made.
A strong indigenous R&D infrastructure, including trained scientific and engineering manpower, developed over last several decades, is already available, to a large extent, to help us in reaching further milestones towards the goal of large scale deployment of thorium as a sustainable energy resource for India. In order to make further continued progress on this path in a focussed and co-ordinated manner, and also to make an optimum utilisation of the resources available to us at any point of time, it is now important to formulate a fairly well laid out roadmap for the third stage of our nuclear power programme.
Dr Pradeep Kumar Dadhich, Senior Fellow, TERI said,
“On a per capita basis, our consumption is around 610 kWh per year. In the countries comprising the Organization for Economic Cooperation & Development (OECD), the corresponding figure is about 10 000 kWh [3]. India’s population is expected to rise to 1.5 billion by the year 2050. If we assume that the development aspirations of the people of India
would call for per capita electricity generation of about 5000 kWh per year, the country has to plan to have total electricity generation of about 7500 billion kWh per year. This is about 12 times the generation in the fiscal year 2001-02. Electricity generation of this magnitude calls for a careful examination of all issues related to sustainability, including diversity of energy supply sources and technologies, security of supplies, self sufficiency, security of energy infrastructure, effect on local, regional and global environments and demand side management.
We have rather meagre reserves of uranium, the only naturally occurring fissile element that can be directly used in a nuclear reactor to produce energy through nuclear fission. We, however, have nearly a third of the entire world’s thorium, which is a fertile element, and needs to be first converted to a fissile material, uranium-233, in a reactor. Our strategies for large scale deployment of nuclear energy must be, and are therefore, focussed towards utilization of thorium.
Goals of the Third Stage are:
The third stage of our programme has to necessarily meet the following goals:
i) Utilisation of thorium as fuel on a commercial scale.
ii) Large scale of deployment of nuclear power in the country.
iii) Achieving good economic performance as compared to alternate options for energy generation.
iv) Attaining higher levels of transparent safety, through optimal utilisation of inherent and passive safety features.
v) Utilising the proliferation resistant potential of thorium fuel cycle to the full extent.
vi) Providing for adaptability to non-electrical applications, in particular, desalination and
vii) High temperature processing applications, including those for generation of non-fossil fluid fuels. ”
Shri S.K. Chande, Vice Chairman, AERB delivered talk on ‘Regulatory aspects of nuclear energy in India’ especially the different credible and concrete safety measures taken to ensure the long lasting security of the nuclear power plants. He talked about different safety surveillance mechanisms deployed for nuclear facilities, radiation facilities, industrial operations, Environmental aspects, emergency preparedness. Also, he briefly described about Research activities in the following areas are being pursued at AERB's Safety Research Institute (SRI), Kalpakkam.
In his talk ‘Public perception of nuclear energy in India: experiences from project implementation, Dr. S. K. Malhotra who is Head, Public Awareness Division, DAE elaborated about the number of prevailing misconceptions about nuclear power plants and nuclear energy altogether. During the second world war when the nuclear weapons were used then it is significant to recall that there was no nuclear power reactor operational in all over world. It was only in 1954 that Soviet Union operationalized first nuclear power plant Obninsk Nuclear Power Plant. Therefore public perception that nuclear energy is only used for nuclear weapons needs to be corrected again and again. The same Japan which was humiliated in massive destruction due to nuclear weapons is generating around 30 % of it`s energy from nuclear fission.
The decision of particular country to go nuclear is definitely one of the debatable questions. But we should not underestimate the enormous potential of this which holds enormous potential to develop human lives. The basic facts about difference between power generation and weapons development needs to be told to public. Method by which fundamental scientific facts are taught in school are not entirely reflecting the kind of other civilian research work being held in Nuclear energy establishment.
The science teaching in schools is moreover directed at explaining the different aspects about nuclear explosion but not the positive aspects of it`s deployment for solving wide ranging problems in our life. Eradication of wide ranging negative perceptions have lead towards stopping of various mining activities to acquire natural uranium in our country. Out of the total minable land where there is estimate that we have more than one lakh tonnes of uranium ore and o.7 % percent of that accounting for natural enriched uranium is till remained unexplored. The deeply rooted ignorance about nuclear power generation plants is posing enormous pressing challenge of Public Engagement to educate them about the issues involved. In various concerns expressed by civil society, non-governmental organizations etc. So DAE is involved in persistent demystification of the facts of nuclear energy so as to reduce the element of distrust in the public mind scape.
Presenting the journalistic perspective about nuclear energy development in India NDTV Science Editor, Mr. Pallav Bagla narrated in detail the status of media's approach towards investigating the facts. He was very critical about the quality of investigative journalism happening in India. Expressing his commitment towards discovering facts from any quarter of country, he emphasized on engaging in continuous study and interaction about issues of nuclear energy by personal involvement.
He expressed satisfaction that he is allowed to have freedom to work on scientific issues in serious which other organizations rarely give. “Due to the persistent engagement with the subject I am able to identify the correct significance of the event/incidence to make sense of the jargon involved, linking the information received to the hardcore facts already known by experience and constant habit of research with restless toiling is really needed in this profession, Complacency to go cynical by having sensational breaking news is really doing damage to the wider debate about the real issues of nuclear energy.
On the other hand the DAE, compared to it`s massive strength of 75, 000 minimum work force has allocated only around 10 people for Public Awareness division. There is much secrecy involved in various operations of nuclear energy generation. Because the generation of nuclear energy is going to be competitive more and more in coming days, certain level of desired and deserved transparency and openness should be given to journalists. The quality and quality of information resources about nuclear energy issues is also very important issue which cannot be ignored.
On the other hand, the DAE compared to it`s massive strength of 75, 000 minimum work force has allocated only around 10 people for Public Awareness division. There is much secrecy involved in various operations of nuclear energy generation. Because the generation of nuclear energy is going to be competitive more and more in coming days, certain level of desired and deserved transparency and openness should be given to journalists. The quality and quality of information resources about nuclear energy issues is also very important issue which cannot be ignored.
CLEARLY THIS WORKSHOP MARKS NEW HORIZON OF DEBATE IN CONTEXT OF LONG PERSISTED IGNORANCE TOWARDS POTENTIAL OF NUCLEAR ENERGY IN REDUCING THE ENERGY DEFICIT FOR AND THUS MOVING TOWARDS EXPLORING SOLUTIONS FOR climate change induced abrut transitions.
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