Nuclear energy remains a non-negotiable option for India: Srikumar Banerjee, Former Head, Atomic Energy Commission

Indrani Bagchi
Sunday, 06-May-2012

 

Fukushima happened 25 years after Chernobyl," says Srikumar Banerjee. "Those were smooth years; there were no accidents or nuclear damage. But, environmental pollution grew exponentially, there was more carbon dioxide warming up the atmosphere, the ozone layer was disturbed."

"The world was not building new nuclear power plants, sure, but the world was definitely feeling the cost of fossil fuels. Naturally, nuclear energy became a lot more attractive. Not only is there over 95% capacity utilization in a nuclear plant, it has the added advantage of being environmentally friendly."

The Renaissance

That was the beginning of the talk of a nuclear renaissance. By the end of the first decade of the 21st century, China and India led the world in welcoming nuclear energy again as a clean, cost-effective energy option. China is building dozens of nuclear plants, while the 2008 Nuclear Suppliers Group waiver for India suddenly opened up the nuclear power world. The US, which had ceased to build nuclear plants since 1979, began to look at the option again.

While western countries are seeing a plateauing off or even a drop in energy consumption, it's the opposite in countries like India. But even in the US, while they may not have built new reactors after 1979, they continue to use their old reactors longer than the 40 years lifetime; they are now being used for 60 years or even longer.
"Fukushima was a shock. But it would be as much a mistake to shut down aviation because of a horrific accident, as it would be to let an accident like this affect the future of nuclear power," Banerjee is emphatic.

But even though there was no death as a result of radiation, Japan is looking at a clean-up bill of over $6 billion. Notwithstanding Banerjee's claims, many countries in the West, notably Germany, Austria etc have foresworn nuclear energy in the aftermath of Fukushima. More than that, nuclear energy is now often described as the dream that failed.

A Japanese Issue

Not in India, says Banerjee. After Fukushima, Banerjee said Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh have all requested nuclear plants. Fukushima, he says, was less a quake problem, much more a Japanese problem. "Japan has never had a grid failure, so they did not factor that exigency. We, on the other hand, factor in grid failures into all our plans because it happens so often in India."

The real test, he says, is the "cool -ability" of a nuclear reactor. "That has to be handled properly. With our ingenuity, our engineers have tried and achieved different types of 'coupling' outside the reactor building. So even if power supply is cut off to the building, we can supply power from outside."

Banerjee is also clear that the pressurised heavy water reactor is much safer, because the coolant is kept in a pool of moving water that dissipates the heat.

By mid-June, Banerjee expects Kudankulam 1 to "approach criticality". "That is a very exciting event," he said, much like a missile launch. Like a good scientist, he remains mystified about why the protests took off, because in his head, there is no rational explanation for "unsubstantiated" fears.

 

    

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