National   

Thorium-based plants will take time: Kakodkar

NEW DELHI: While pointing out that India needed to go fast on the development of nuclear energy by putting in place “everything necessary to realise the objective,” Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar indicated that the adoption of the thorium route (of which India has plentiful reserves) would take time.

“It is true the growth in nuclear energy would be dependent on the sequential nature of the technology. We will first have to move to fast reactors and then to thorium fuel-based reactors. We can’t introduce thorium straightway. The sequence is unavoidable. We need to recognise it is not a problem of reactor technology,” he said to questions at a conference on developing a sustainable energy roadmap organised by The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI).

“So we have to factor in a technical gestation period. That is a problem. It is a technical problem,” the AEC chief added. India had done a lot and very few countries had gone as far as it had in developing fast reactors. Even fewer nations had reached a stage from where they could take a closer look at adopting the thorium route.

Domestic uranium would support 10,000 megawatt of energy. “We are halfway through. The remaining half will be covered in eight units of 700 MW each. Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited can construct all simultaneously. But true growth in nuclear energy will be dependent on sequential technology,” said Dr. Kakodkar.

For thorium-based plants, India already had plans for a technology demonstrator plant ready for construction but as this fuel would be useful in vast operations, fast reactors were sorely required, he said.

Earlier, speaking as one of the panellists on a session on an energy secure future for India, Dr. Kakodkar said the role of nuclear energy would be crucial in this respect since it was clean, had no greenhouse gas emission issues and had unlimited potential.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Talks with UNPA only on n-deal: Karat
Why delay in Karnataka, asks BJP
Thorium-based plants will take time: Kakodkar
Apex court notice to CBI on Dutt’s bail plea
Zakia’s plea fails
Kaziranga National Park reopens to tourists
“Lodge FIR against Pawar”
National Food Security Mission takes off
Left all set to pull out: Mulayam
Complaint filed against Jaswant
“Women’s movement in Bangladesh facing hurdles”
India hosting big Africa summit on oil
Tiger found dead in Jim Corbett Park

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu