Our Kakrapar nuclear reactor is the first in the world using thorium and we are lucky in holding more than 25 per cent of global thorium reserves

Much has been written about the recently inked Indo-US nuclear accord. There has been criticism in particular about the nuclear liability clause; a roadblock that was ironed out by going in for insurers offering Rs. 750 crore capacity for the nuclear pool, with rest to be footed by the government; total Rs. 1,500 crore set up as ‘Nuclear Risk Pool’ with both operators and suppliers to be provided cover against associated risks.

The criticism is about the Rs. 750 crore being footed by the Indian Government, being taxpayers’ money. This criticism, however, needs to be viewed in the following context: first, India already has over two score nuclear power reactors, all run by government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL). In case of an accident in any of these, compensation paid by government also is taxpayers’ money; second, the Indo-US nuclear accord was in cold storage for over six years with nuclear liability being one among the two major reasons. President Barack Obama used his executive powers to waive the issue raised from the US side to track the nuclear material being provided. Freezing the accord further because of non-agreement on nuclear liability would have been detrimental to our economic and security interests; third, India’s future energy requirements are gigantic and there is no shortcut from optimising on all forms of energy including nuclear energy; fourth, we may have large reserves of thorium but we do need huge amounts of nuclear fuel from abroad; fifth, execution of the accord would essentially have lengthy time lines and not getting it through now would have delayed the process perhaps by another few years, impinging on our energy security.

A dispassionate analysis would indicate that the Rs. 750 crore portion of the Nuclear Risk Pool is small in comparison to the overall gains. Of course we had the Bhopal gas tragedy where over 5,50,000 persons were affected (3,787 dead and 5,58,125 injuries including some 3,900 severely and permanently disabling injuries) with little or no compensation and some Delhi politicians in the then government even facilitating the escape of CEO of Union Carbide, Warren Anderson to the US. A more probable figure estimated was that 8,000 died within two weeks and an additional 8,000 thereafter due to gas-related diseases. Nuclear power addresses concerns about the environment, energy security and the volatility of fossil fuel prices.

Undoubtedly there has been speculation world over on account of safety post the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster but then take a look at China that has been building three to four reactors every year since the past decade with foreign collaboration, particularly with France and Russia. According to the World Energy Outlook (WEO), global electricity demand should double to 28,000 TWh by 2030, led by rapid growth in developing countries, three times faster than OECD countries. WEO 2014 released last November says without clear directions in 2015, the world is set for warming well beyond the 2 degree Celsius goal and that nuclear power can play a role in energy security and carbon abatement albeit financing and public concerns are key issues.

At the UN Climate Summit last September, Indian Minister for Environment said that India’s carbon-dioxide emissions were expected to continuously rise for next 30 years. As per the UN, large population in India still use wood for cooking. About one-fourth of the country is not on the electrical grid though India is the fourth largest energy consumer globally after China, US and Russia. Environmental security has been of great concern to the world and during his recent visit to India President Obama made specific reference to the issue, seeking India’s cooperation. Therefore, nuclear energy becomes necessary not only to bridge massive voids in India’s future energy requirements but also mandatory for saving the environment.

India operates 21 nuclear reactors in seven power plants, supplying 3.5 per cent of India’s electricity. Since 2008, India’s nuclear power generation capacity has been raised 50 to 80 per cent. From our present capacity of 4,780 MW, the government plans to reach 14,600 MW by 2021 and 27,500 MW by 2032, eventually aiming to supply 25 per cent of its electricity from nuclear power by 2050. Our Kakrapar nuclear reactor is the first in the world using thorium and we are lucky in holding more than 25 percent of global thorium reserves (IAEA puts it at 67 per cent – almost two-thirds of global reserves).

A thorium nuclear reactor has no possibility of a meltdown like the Fukushima reactor because thorium cannot sustain a nuclear chain reaction without priming, as a result of which fission stops by default. Though thorium does require start-up by neutrons from a uranium reactor, from thereon this activated thorium reactor can activate other thorium reactors discounting any further requirement of uranium. With such reserves at our disposal we should remain focused goals.