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Nuclear energy not only safe but also economical: IGCAR chief
-The Hindu

From generating 1.3 Giga Watt energy at the time of Independence, the country’s energy generation has increased to 205 Giga Watt (an increase by close to 160 times). But India still faces 12 per cent electricity shortage. Therefore, all forms of energy must be used to overcome this, Director of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), at Kalpakkam, S.C. Chetal told The Hindu .

He was here on Saturday to inaugurate the Inspire Internship Camp – 2012 sponsored by the Department of Science and Technology (DST) that was held at K.S. Rangasamy of Technology in Tiruchengode.

About 65 per cent of the country’s energy generation is dependent on fossil fuels like coal, 18 per cent from hydro generation, 12 per cent from solar and wind energy, while the contribution of nuclear energy is only 2.5 per cent – from the 20 nuclear power plants in the country. This was five times less than the average energy generation across the globe using nuclear energy.

It would cost about Rs.8 for producing a unit of electricity using solar energy, as against Rs. 2.55 using nuclear energy, he said. And, it cost only Rs.2 a unit of nuclear energy at the Kalpakkam plant.

“Nuclear energy contributes to 77 per cent of energy generation in France. There are a total of 103 nuclear power plants (five times more than India) in the United States that contribute 20 percent of the energy generation in that country, whereas in Japan 52 nuclear plants are meeting 30 percent of the country’s energy needs”, Mr. Chetal said.

He said that developing countries have made optimum use of nuclear energy as it is not only safe but also economical compared to other forms of energy generation.

The Director – who is with IGCAR for more than four decades – said that the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has stringent guidelines to ensure all possible safety aspects before identifying sites to set up nuclear plants.

“Work at the 500 Mega Watt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam – first of its kind in the world – is in its final stage and it is likely to be commissioned in March 2013”, he added.