Indo-US Nuclear Deal (Part-II)

An Energy Hungry Nation & its Nuclear Energy Scenario

Let’s start with a look at how we obtain our energy today.

India’s Total Installed Capacity: 1, 45,000 MW

Atomic: 2.9%

Coal, Hydrocarbons & Non-Renewable: 64.6%

Hydro power: 24.7 %

Renewable: 7.7 %

Our long term energy policy requires us to find 1300 GWe of energy by the year 2050. According to DAE, if we do not go ahead with the nuclear imports as envisaged by the Indo-US deal, we will be running up a deficit of 412 GWe by 2050. This huge gap in demand will have to be sufficed by additional coal imports which will come up to 1.6 billion tonne. According to a group of scientists of Department of Atomic Energy headed by Anil Kakodkar, if we add up another 40 GWe during the period 2012-2020, this energy deficit could be completely wiped out by 2050. Suppose if we delay the introduction of Light Water Reactors by a decade and import 40GWe during 2022-2030, then by 2050, we will be running up a deficit of 2050. The additional coal imports required will be 0.7 billion tonne in 2050.

Our Reactors

Since we are looking at Nuclear Energy in particular, lets see from which all facilities we obtain our nuclear power and how much.

India's operating nuclear power reactors:

Reactor	Type	MWe net (each)	Commercial operation
Tarapur 1 & 2	BWR	150	1969
Kaiga 1 & 2	PHWR	202	1999-2000
Kaiga 3	PHWR	202	2007
Kakrapar 1 & 2	PHWR	202	1993-95
Kalpakkam 1 & 2 (MAPS)	PHWR	202	1984-86
Narora 1 & 2	PHWR	202	1991-92
Rawatbhata 1	PHWR	90	1973
Rawatbhata 2	PHWR	187	1981
Rawatbhata 3 & 4	PHWR	202	1999-2000
Tarapur 3 & 4	PHWR	490	2006, 05
Total (17)		3779 MWe

Also let us have a glance at the ongoing projects.

India's nuclear power reactors under construction:

Reactor	Type	MWe net (each)	Commercial operation
Kaiga 4	PHWR	202 MWe	end of 2008
Rawatbhata 5 & 6	PHWR	202 MWe	end of 2008, 3/09
Kudankulam 1 & 2	PWR (VVER)	950 MWe	9/2009, 12/09
Kalpakkam PFBR	FBR	470 MWe	2010
Total (6)		2976 MWe

Our Resources

So the immediate doubt will possibly be how India supplies fuel for the currently operational reactors. The combined requirement for all these reactors is 600 tU per year. Our uranium resources are modest, with 54,000 tonnes as reasonably assured resources and 23,500 tonnes as estimated additional resources in situ. Mining and processing of uranium is carried out by Uranium Corporation of India Ltd, a subsidiary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The main areas of our uranium deposits are located at the following locations.

India's uranium mines and mills - existing and announced

State, district	Mine	Mill	Operating from	tU per year
Jharkhand	Jaduguda	Jaduguda	1967 (mine) 1968 (mill)	175 total from mill
	Bhatin	Jaduguda	1967
	Narwapahar	Jaduguda	1995
	Bagjata	Jaduguda	2008
	Turamdih	Turamdih	2003 (mine) 2008 (mill)	190 total from mill
	Banduhurang	Turamdih	2007
	Mohuldih	Turamdih	2011
Meghalaya	Kylleng-Pyndengsohiong (Domiasiat)Mawthabah	Mawthabah	2012	340
Andhra Pradesh, Nalgonda	Lambapur-Peddagattu	Seripally	2012	130
Andhra Pradesh, Kadapa	Tummalapalle	Tummalapalle	2010	220

As of mid 2008 Indian nuclear power plants are running at about half of capacity due to a chronic shortage of fuel (as is evident from the over utilization of Jadugada mines. It is currently running at 240tU per year).