BW Communities

The Nuclear Power Game

Anup Jayaram Nov 08, 2014

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><root available-locales="en_US," default-locale="en_US"><static-content language-id="en_US"><![CDATA[It has been in the eye of the storm almost ever since it was conceived. Last week, the government gave the go-ahead to the 9,900 MW nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra. Once completed, it would be the single-largest power plant in India. Jaitapur got the clearance despite opposition from the residents of the region. Apart from dislocating villagers from the mango bowl of Maharashtra, the plant is located on the coast in a seismic zone — though a significantly lower one than Fukushima, Japan. Situated 10 metres above mean sea level, the threat of a tsunami affecting operations is also relatively lower. While most countries are reviewing their nuclear power strategy, India has decided to go ahead with the Jaitapur plant. The question is why. By this decision, the government has indicated that India's nuclear power programme will continue despite Fukushima. As things stand, nuclear power could be critical in meeting the growing power demand in the country. At present, India has 20 nuclear reactors at six locations that generate 4,780 MW of power, which accounts for just 2.2 per cent of India's total power generating capacity. The government expects nuclear power plants to generate 20,000 MW by 2020 and 63,000 MW by 2032. With GDP growing at over 8 per cent per annum, India would need power generation capacity to grow at close to 10 per cent per annum. It also fits in with the government's plans to add 100,000 MW of power generating capacity during the 12th Plan (2012-17). India has been looking to expand nuclear power capacity in a big way ever since the 2008 nuclear deal with the US. It has signed preliminary agreements with the US, France and Russia for acquisition of new reactors. It is in this context that Jaitapur has got the green signal. The 9,900-MW Jaitapur nuclear power plant will have six nuclear reactors of 1,650 MW each to be set up in three phases. The first phase will have two European pressurised reactors (EPR) supplied by France's Areva. That is likely to be commissioned in 2018. The capacity at Jaitapur alone will be more than double the current nuclear power capacity of 4780 MW. While there have been concerns on the EPR, government officials point out that these are commercial reactors and not experimental reactors. They are upgraded versions of French N4 and German Konvoi reactors that have been in use for several years in these countries. French EPRs are currently under construction in Finland, France and China. The action on the nuclear front is not just limited to adding power-generation capacity. The government is expected to introduce a Bill in the next session of Parliament for the formation of an independent and autonomous nuclear regulatory authority. While that is a step in the right direction, the big issue at stake now with Jaitapur is the environmental impact of the project and long-term safety. If the government manages to address these issues directly, it could well assuage the anti-nuclear groups in the country and open the doors to setting up more nuclear power plants. (This story was published in Businessworld Issue Dated 16-05-2011)