The Government of India has suddenly realised the importance of nuclear power. It is projecting nuclear power as a solution for the power shortages and as a means of accelerating power development.

Self-sufficiency and self-reliance were of utmost importance and were the guiding spirit of the Indian independence movement.  The uranium reserves of India were sufficient to sustain 10000 MW nuclear capacity whereas presently only 4120 MW was operating under ownership of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).

Govt. of India had not invested the funds as required by the Uranium Corporation of India (UCIL) and the domestic mining of uranium was unable to meet the requirement of 4120 MW capacity presently operating leading to a plant load factor  of only about 50% due to uranium shortage.

Department of Atomic Energy plans to have an installed nuclear generation capacity of 20,000 MW in the country by the year 2020. This will consist of a mix of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors, Fast Breeder Reactors and Advanced Light Water Reactors….. Third stage of the nuclear power programe envisages utilization of thorium on large scale. During the next 20 years, we would like to lay a firm foundation for the use of thorium by developing appropriating technologies.”

The commissioning of two units of 640 MW each at kakarpar(unit no.3&4) and two units of 1000MW each at Jaitapur is due in year 2012. The commissioning of two units of 640 MW each at Rawatbhata and two units of 1000MW each at Kudankulam has yet not been finalized. The status of other nuclear units proposed to take the total nuclear capacity is not clear.

It takes a gestation period of 7 years and cost of 10 crores per megawatt from starting site selection to commissioning of a nuclear power plant in India. Where as the Department of atomic Energy has proposed to go from 4020 MW in 2007 to 20000 MW in 2020 , the planning commission has proposed total nuclear capacity of 63,000 MW by 2030 .The targets of Atomic Energy commission seems to be realistic where as the targets of planning commission are  too over ambitious.

To increase the nuclear capacity of the country Government must give all out budgetary support to NPCIL and UCIL so that indigenous 3 stage nuclear power programmed of NPCIL can be speeded up. The spent fuel from existing nuclear reactors would be used in the second stage fast breeder reactors and the fuel output of the 2nd stage fast breeder reactors would be used in the 3rd stage thorium fuelled reactors which would provide long term energy security to the country.

To meet the planning commission targets it would require an annual addition of about 8425 MW of nuclear power plant and the cost of this annual addition would be about cost of Rs. 84,000 Crores per annum. The total budget of the Department of Atomic Energy for the year 2004-05 was Rs. 2504 crores only.

Nuclear power should be allowed to develop the use of Thorium as a priority rather than rush to add generating capacity into the grid. This will mean that the first of its kind engineering coupled with the development of indigenous manufacturing will slow down addition of the nuclear power. But once this phase is over India can add nuclear power at an exponential rate. This should be the preferable route over adding capacity to the grid through imported reactors based on various technologies and uncertainness of fuel supply

NPCIL had proved its capability by constructing and operating 220 MW and 540 MW reactors and had not taken up 700 MW reactors while a 500 MW fast breeder reactor of 2nd stage was being constructed at Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu) and the design of advanced reactors (3rd stage) was in progress.  The NPCIL had a target of achieving 20000 MW by year 2020 and this Government of India Company must be strengthened for accelerated growth to meet the country’s energy requirement indigenous need.