Address by Dr.
Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, at the Indo-French
Nuclear Industry Business Meet in Mumbai on 15th October 2007.
Excellency Mr. Jerome Bonnafont, Ambassador of France in India; Mrs.
Sophie Galey-Leruste , Director of Energy and Mineral Resources, Ministry
for Ecology, Sustainable Development and Spatial Planning; my colleague Dr.
S.K. Jain, Chairman & Managing Director, NPCIL; Mr. Venkatachary;
distinguished representatives of French and Indian industries present here;
friends from the French Mission, Colleagues from Department of Atomic
Energy, Ladies and Gentlemen,
I am happy to welcome all of you present
here, specially our guests who have come from
France
.
Co-operation between
India
and
France
in the nuclear area is quite old. In
fact, it was the first bilateral co-operation
India
had with any country. The
co-operation has been very meaningful and covered
important areas like R & D, Fast Breeder Reactors, Safety and now
Fusion Energy. I also remember a
similar industry meet that took place in Mumbai some twenty years ago which
was focussed on the French PWRs.
Importance of nuclear power in
India
has been recognized right since our independence.
Recognizing the need for technological independence
in this sensitive area, we launched
a unique and self reliant development of our three stage
nuclear power programme aimed at a long term objective of meeting a
large share of our energy needs utilizing our vast Thorium resources.
This programme is on track. Nearly
half of the 10,000 MWe programme for the first stage based on domestic
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) is already in place.
Another 8 units of 700 MWe, the unit size for our next PHWRs would
complete the full power potential of the first stage that available domestic
natural uranium would permit. NPCIL
has already demonstrated construction, operation and economic performance,
matching the global standards and has the capability to construct all these
eight units and more simultaneously.
We have also launched the commercial phase of the second stage of our
programme. The construction of the first 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor is making rapid progress. A
300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, a technology demonstrator for large
scale thorium use in an advanced system that would meet all objectives of a
4th generation reactor, is also ready for launch of construction.
The three stage development programme is thus very much on course and
has seen faster progress in recent years than any time before. One must,
however, understand and appreciate the sequential nature of this technology
deployment strategy. The nuclear
properties of Thorium, while would permit sustaining a given power
generation capacity to make full use of energy from our vast thorium
reserves, do not permit growth in power generation capacity.
Large scale deployment of thorium has thus to await enhancement of
power generation capacity through fast breeder reactors to a requisite
level. This is not a
matter of reactor technology choice but inherent nuclear properties of
thorium.
Many of you are probably aware of a DAE study done some years back on
electricity needs in
India
and the role nuclear power can play in meeting these needs over a five
decade horizon. It is clear from
this study that the domestic nuclear power development could cater to around
208 GWe capacity out of a total 1300 GWe installed capacity that we need to
realize to sustain the economic growth and there would be around 30% short
fall in energy that would need to be imported to meet our needs.
These estimates have been arrived at after liberally taking into
account contributions from all forms of energy.
We must also recognize that access to energy supply is likely become
more and more difficult in coming years.
Our efforts look at international civil nuclear co-operation have to
be seen in this background. We
have insisted and would continue to insist that such co-operation can not be
allowed to hinder our strategic programme as well as our three stage
programme. We have also insisted
on our requirement to reprocess and recycle the spent fuel so that we not
only have the additionality in the near term, which is very desirable, but
also establish an order of magnitude larger power generation capacity along
with its energy supply, for the future.
We must recognize the long term benefit of such energy resource in
light of gaps in our future energy resource availability.
Access to larger availability of uranium either domestically or from
abroad is yet another way to enlarge the nuclear power generation quickly.
While we are pushing domestic uranium exploration and production at an
unprecedented pace maximizing both resources and technology inputs, access
to uranium abroad would happen only after civil nuclear co-operation opens
up.
France
is an excellent example of how energy security can be realized through
nuclear route in an environmentally benign way.
Today,
France
reprocesses and recycles almost the entire spent fuel that arises from its
fleet of PWRs.
France
is also the host for ITER project which would demonstrate to the world how
one can augment global energy supply through almost unlimited fussion
energy.
India
is happy to be a partner in this global effort in which almost half of the
humanity is participating.
India
is committed to make in-kind contribution through equipment manufactured in
the country costing around Rs.2000 crore. I am glad that ITER forms an
important part of the agenda of this meet.
Discussions have been held between parties in
France
and
India
on industrial co-operation in manufacture of PWR equipment in
India
. This is an important element
in competitive economic viability of French PWRs in
India
. I think this could also be of
advantage in terms of enhancing competitiveness of French PWRs world wide.
Indian industries today make and supply equipment for our PHWRs and
FBRs. They are also well
qualified to make PWR equipment. Indian
energy requirements are large and hence Indian manufacturing industry has
the opportunity to meet all emerging requirements including
possible needs for the global market.
We will of course maintain our self reliance.
Self reliance to me does not mean isolating ourselves.
But rather keeping several options including ‘do it yourself’’
option open so that the country is not subject to vulnerabilities of any
kind. With the commitment to
move on the three stage programme at an accelerated pace and the robust
capabilities that have been already built, I am confident that the
collaboration of the kind we are envisaging would be a win-win situation for
both sides.
NPCIL and BHAVINI, the two DAE public sector units have the
experience of setting up and operating a diverse set of nuclear reactor
technologies such as BWR, PHWR, VVER and FBR.
This capability has been built over decades and is duly backed up by
R & D laboratories of DAE like BARC, IGCAR and RRCAT.
NPCIL has also evolved a management culture that has imbibed the
specific requirements nuclear power business.
A nuclear reactor once started needs to be looked after to keep its
safety functions going, whether it generates electricity or not.
This management commitment has to last all the way up to the end of
decommissioning process and also until all spent fuel is reprocessed and
waste properly disposed off. This
is a learning process and we must see evidence of adequate preparedness
before any entity is allowed to get into this business.
It is also clear that regulatory approval from Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board is necessary for any nuclear / radiation related activity
in
India
. Further, any reactor design
must be licenced in the country of origin before it can be considered here.
This Indo French Nuclear Industry Business meet provides a unique
opportunity to exchange ideas at the industry level and prepare ourselves
together for meeting emerging requirements in
India
which by themselves are bound to be quite large.
Hopefully, discussions would also facilitate
India
to be a good partner in fulfilling the needs of global nuclear renaissance.
I wish you all success in your deliberations.
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