The Hindu : Kerala / Thiruvananthapuram News : Call to develop electrical energy as alternative source

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 22, 2006

Kerala

Kerala - Thiruvananthapuram

Call to develop electrical energy as alternative source

Staff Reporter

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM : The former director of Liquid Propulsion Systems Centre N. Vedachalam has suggested the need to develop electrical energy as an alternative source for petrol and diesel. He was speaking at a discussion on `Indo-U.S. Agreement on Nuclear Technology- Issues and Concerns,' organised by the Swadeshi Science Movement on Monday.

The price of conventional fuels such as petrol and diesel will double in the next five years. In the next 30 to 40 years it will become a scarce commodity, he said. "Energy production is one of the major concerns before the country. There should be an alternative for oil, and, in my opinion, electrical energy is the best option," he said.

He said the efficiency of electrical energy was much higher than fossil fuels. "Millions of trucks currently run at 33 per cent fuel efficiency. While in the case of electrical energy, the efficiency is up to 99 per cent," Mr. Vedachalam said.

T.P. Sreenivasan, former Ambassador, was of the view that the cooperation in nuclear technology between India and America can lead to a mutually beneficial relationship, as the Bush administration is trying to seek a new power equation with India.

"The agreement is a corner stone of the new edifice of cooperation with the U.S. This may help India to enhance its ties with other developed countries as well," he said.

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