India’s potential for nuclear technologies

In its first visit to a Climatic event at COP 27 in Egypt, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) chief spoke regarding the importance of Nuclear Technologies for the world to shift towards clean energy.

• He also mentioned India's potential for new nuclear technologies.

Background: (Baby steps towards Nuclear Building Nation)

• India's nuclear energy self-sufficiency extends from uranium discovery and mining to fuel fabrication, heavy water output, reactor development and construction, reprocessing, and waste disposal.
• The Atomic Energy Establishment was established at Trombay, Mumbai in 1957 and was renamed as the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) 10 years later.
• Plans for building the first Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) were finalized in 1964, and this prototype – Rajasthan 1, was built as a collaborative venture between Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd (AECL) and NPCIL.
• The Indian Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) is the main policy body in the country for Nuclear energy exploration and research.
• The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is in charge of designing, building, commissioning, and operating thermal nuclear power plants. Its financing approach is 70% equity & 30% debt.
• However, it intends to enlist other public and private organizations in future nuclear power growth, particularly the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), which is mostly government-owned.

India's Nuclear Energy Development Strategy:

• Currently, nuclear power generates 25% of worldwide clean energy.
• India's nuclear power program is mostly indigenous.
• The Indian government is determined to increase nuclear power generation as part of its huge infrastructure-building agenda.
• The government has set high goals for expanding nuclear capacity.
• Because India is not a signatory to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty because of its weapons program, it was typically prohibited from trading in nuclear plants and materials for 34 years, restricting civil nuclear energy expansion until 2009.
• Due to past trade restrictions and an abundance of indigenous uranium, India has devised an innovative nuclear fuel cycle to utilize its thorium resources.
• Since 2010, a fundamental contradiction between India's civil liability law and international agreements has limited foreign technology provisions.

Benefits:

• Minimize carbon emission: Nuclear power remains an important part of India’s strategy to minimize carbon emissions in the long run.
• Meeting targets: This is essential to fulfill the Paris climate agreement as well as maintain high rates of economic growth.
• Meeting long-term demands: From a long-term perspective, India needs nuclear power. This is because we are short of oil, gas, and even coal. More than 70 percent of petroleum products, 40 percent of gas, and 20 percent of Coal consumption is based on imports.
• Diversification of energy options to attain energy security.

Challenges:

• Higher cost: Comparative costs of nuclear production are high as solar energy costs are decreasing, this difference is increasing further.
• Disposal: The disposal of radioactive material and the danger of nuclear accidents makes it further prohibitive.
• The threat of weapons: Beyond the risks associated with radioactive wastes, the threat of nuclear weapons looms large.