Skip to main content

Advertisement

SpringerLink
Log in

Nuclear viewpoint in India

  • Review
  • Published:
MRS Energy & Sustainability Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nuclear power is a crucial source of clean energy for India. In the near-term, India is focusing on thermal reactors using natural and enriched uranium. In the long-term, India is exploring various options to use its large thorium reserves.

India’s present nuclear installed capacity is 5680 MW, which contributes to about 3.4% of the annual electricity generation. However, nuclear power is an important source of energy in India’s aspirations for energy security and also in achieving its Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC), of 40% fossil free electricity, by 2030. India has limited uranium reserves, but abundant thorium reserves. The Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) lifted restrictions on trade with India, in 2008, enabling India to import uranium (natural and enriched) and nuclear reactors. In the near–term (2030), the nuclear capacity could increase to about 42,000 MW. This would be from a combination of domestic Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and imported Pressurized Water Reactors (PWR). For the long–term (2050), India is exploring various options for utilising its vast thorium reserves. This includes Advanced Heavy Water Reactor and Molten Salt Breeder Reactor. However, generating public acceptance will be crucial to the expansion of the nuclear power program.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Figure 1
Table 1
Table 2
Table 3
Figure 2
Table 4
Table 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Central Electricity Authority, Government of India: All India Installed Capacity—December 2016 (CEA, 2016). Available at: http://www.cea.nic.in/reports/monthly/installedcapacity/2016/installed_capacity-12.pdf (accessed 31 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  2. Ministry of Power, Government of India. Available at: http://powermin.nic.in/en/content/overview (accessed 27 October 2016).

  3. Parliament of India, Lok Sabha: Unstarred Question 1300, answered on November 23, 2016. Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/ parl/winter2016/lsus1300.pdf (accessed 31 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  4. International Energy Agency, IEA: Key World Energy Statistics (2016). Available at: http://www.iea.org/publications/freepublications/ publication/KeyWorld2016.pdf (accessed 31 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  5. Planning Commission, Government of India: Final Report of the Expert Group on Low Carbon Strategies for Inclusive Growth (Planning Commission, 2014). Available at: http://planningcommission.nic.in/reports/genrep/rep_carbon2005.pdf (accessed 10 November 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  6. CSTEP: Quality of Life for All: A Sustainable Development Framework for India’s Climate Policy (CSTEP, 2015). Available at: http://cstep.in/uploads/default/files/publications/stuff/CSTEP_Quality_of_Life_for_ All_Report_2015.pdf (accessed 12 November 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  7. Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India: India’s Intended Nationally Determined Contribution: Working towards Climate Justice (UNFCCC, 2015). Available at: http://ww4.unfccc.int/submissions/INDC/Published%20Documents/ India/1/INDIA%20INDC%20TO%20UNFCCC.pdf (accessed 29 October 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  8. Parliament of India, Rajya Sabha: Unstarred Question 1711, December 8, 2011. Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/rsus1711_081211.pdf (accessed on 31 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  9. Livemint: PM Narendra Modi Wants Nuclear Power Capacity to be Tripled. Available at: http://www.livemint.com/Politics/ vqSkbdMVwYA2BqybcTmHIK/PM-Narendra-Modi-visits-Bhabha- Atomic-Research-Centre.html (accessed 27 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  10. Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India: Three Stages of Indian Nuclear Power Programme. Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/?q=node/212 (accessed 16 November 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  11. Department of Atomic Energy, Govt of India: Press Release 03/2012 dated April 20, 2012. Available at: http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/ pr200412_0.pdf (accessed 24 November 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  12. Riyas A. and Mohanakrishnan P.: Studies on physics parameters of metal (U-Pu-Zr) fuelled FBR cores. Science 25, 50–51 (2007).

    Google Scholar 

  13. International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA): INFCIRC/734-corrected, September 19, 2008. Available at: https://www.iaea.org/sites/default/ files/publications/documents/infcircs/2008/infcirc734c.pdf (accessed January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  14. Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India: Press Release on Programme of Action for Localisation of Manufacturing in India for Russiandesigned Nuclear Power Plants (Department of Atomic Energy, December 24, 2015). Available at: http://dae.nic.in/writereaddata/moscow24122015.pdf (accessed 26 November 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  15. Grover R.B.: The civil nuclear programme: The last decade and the outlook for the near future. Indian Foreign Aff. J. 10 (3), 255–267 (2015).

    Google Scholar 

  16. Grover R.B.: Opening up of international civil nuclear cooperation with India and related developments. Progress in Nuclear Energy, In Press (September 29, 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  17. IAEA: Power Reactor Information System PRIS. Available at: https://www.iaea.org/PRIS/CountryStatistics/CountryStatisticsLandingPage.aspx (accessed 2 December 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  18. Puthiya Vinayagam P. and Chellapandi P.: Sustainable energy security from fast breeder reactors. Presented at the 6th Nuclear Energy Conclave, Energy Forum, New Delhi, India, 2014. Available at: http://docslide.net/documents/p-puthiya-vinayagam-and-p-chellapandi-indira-gandhi-centrefor- atomic-research-568a65720cb75.html (accessed 6 December 2016).

    Google Scholar 

  19. Puthiyavinayagam P.: Progress in Fast Reactor Programme of India: April 2014-March 2015, 48th Annual Meeting of TWGFR (IAEA at IPPE, Obninsk, May 2015); pp. 25–29.

    Google Scholar 

  20. Umadevi K. and Sreekumar G.: Challenges in reprocessing of high burnup thermal reactor spent fuel. In Proceedings of the first DAE-BRNS symposium on recent advances in nuclear fuel cycle activities (IAEA - INIS, Tarapur, 2015).

    Google Scholar 

  21. Bhabha Atomic Research Centre: AHWR300-LEU: Advanced Heavy Water Reactor with LEU-Th MOX Fuel. Available at: http://dae.nic.in/ writereaddata/.pdf_31 (accessed 5 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  22. Banerjee S., Gupta H.P., and Bhardwaj S.A.: Nuclear power from thorium: Different options. Curr. Sci. 111, 1607–1623 (2016). Available at: http://www.currentscience.ac.in/Volumes/111/10/1607.pdf (accessed 25 November 2016).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  23. Wattal P.K.: Recycling challenges of thorium-based fuels in thorium energy for the world. In Proceedings of the ThEC13 Conference, CERN (Globe of Science and Innovation, Geneva, Switzerland, October 27-31, 2013).

    Google Scholar 

  24. Parliament of India, Rajya Sabha: Unstarred Question 1864, (March 3, 2013). Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/bud2013/ rsus1864.pdf (accessed 29 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  25. Parliament of India, Rajya Sabha: Unstarred Question 481, December 3, 2015. Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/ winter2015/rsus481.pdf (accessed 29 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  26. Parliament of India, Lok Sabha: Unstarred Question 63, February 24, 2016. Available at: http://www.dae.nic.in/writereaddata/parl/ budget2016/lsus63.pdf (accessed 29 January 2017).

    Google Scholar 

  27. The Indian Express. Available at: http://indianexpress.com/article/india/ india-others/2-new-russian-reactors-for-kudankulam-to-cost-double-mostexpensive- n-plants/ (accessed 11 January 2017).

  28. The Indian Express. Available at: http://indianexpress.com/article/ business/business-others/jaitapur-nuclear-project-renewed-push-amidlingering- concerns/ (accessed 30 January 2017).

  29. Business Standard. Available at: http://www.business-standard.com/ article/economy-policy/we-are-confident-we-can-make-the-jaitapurproject- economically-viable-vakis-ramany-116112500027_1.html (accessed 26 November 2016).

  30. Reuters cited in The Hindu Business Line. Available at: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/indiauseximbankintalkson89bnnuclearloansnagsremain/article9135103.ece (accessed 26 November 2016).

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Center for Study of Science, Technology and Policy (CSTEP), Bangalore-560094, Karnataka, India

    Anshu Bharadwaj, Lakshminarayana Venkat Krishnan & Subramaniam Rajagopal

Authors
  1. Anshu Bharadwaj
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Lakshminarayana Venkat Krishnan
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Subramaniam Rajagopal
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Anshu Bharadwaj.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this article

Bharadwaj, A., Krishnan, L.V. & Rajagopal, S. Nuclear viewpoint in India. MRS Energy & Sustainability 4, 6 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2017.7

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Published:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/mre.2017.7

Keywords

Search

Navigation