Context

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

• He also highlighted India’s potential for New Nuclear Technologies.

Background

(Baby steps towards Nuclear Building Nation)

• India's nuclear energy self-sufficiency extended from uranium exploration and mining through fuel fabrication, heavy water production, reactor design and construction, to reprocessing and waste management.
• The Atomic Energy Establishment was set up at Trombay, near Mumbai, in 1957 and renamed as Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) ten 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 bodyin the country for Nuclear energy exploration and research.
• The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) is responsible for design, construction, commissioning and operation of thermal nuclear power plants. Its funding model is 70% equity and 30% debt
• However, it is aiming to involve other public sector and private corporations in future nuclear power expansion, notably National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)which is largely government-owned.

The Strategy for Nuclear Energy developments in India:

• Nuclear currently produces 25 per cent of the global clean energy.
• India has a largely indigenous nuclear power programme.
• The Indian government is committed to growing its nuclear power capacity as part of its massive infrastructure development programme.
• The government has set ambitious targets to grow nuclear capacity.
• Because India is outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty due to its weapons programme, it was for 34 years largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant and materials, which hampered its development of civil nuclear energy until 2009.
• Due to earlier trade bans and lack of indigenous uranium, India has uniquely been developing a nuclear fuel cycle to exploit its reserves of thorium.
• Since 2010, a fundamental incompatibility between India’s civil liability law and international conventions limits foreign technology provision.