Indian nuclear up 23 per cent

• 11 years ago (2012-10-01)
• Junior Isles

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Nuclear power generation in India increased by 23 per cent over the last year, according to R. K. Sinha, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC). Additionally, the average annual operational availability of reactors went up from 83 to 91 per cent.

Addressing the IAEA’s 56th annual general conference in Vienna, Sinha said that the fuel production from pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) has shot up by 15 per cent.

He also told the conference that India has expanded its activities relating to uranium exploration.

“As a result of this we have been able to identify new resources of uranium and in the last five years reserves have registered a steep increase of about 70 per cent,” he said.

Securing additional uranium supplies is crucial if India is to address its shortage of uranium in light of expanding nuclear generation. The recent Indo-US nuclear deal was agreed to help ensure India has access to foreign uranium supplies.

The Indian nuclear chief also confirmed that the construction of four indigenously designed 700 MW PHWRs, two each at Kakrapar, Gujarat and Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, will be completed by 2017.

He also said that operation of the first unit of Tamil Nadu’s Russian-aided 1000 MW Kudankulam atomic power reactor was “expected to commence shortly,” despite safety issues raised by local groups.

Sinha was also positive about the growth of nuclear energy post-Fukushima, claiming the global response to the Fukushima accident, by and large, had been very mature.

“While committing to learn complete lessons from the accident to enhance safety, the growth prospect of nuclear generation continues to be driven by the concerns of energy security to meet long term developmental needs,” he told the IAEA conference.

He also announced that India will soon approach the IAEA to carry out a peer review of the country’s nuclear regulatory system.