Nuclear Power Is Key to India's Clean Energy Future: Anil Kakodkar

Kakodkar emphasized that the quality of life of the average Indian should be comparable to or better than the quality of life in advanced or developed countries. To achieve a quality of life comparable to advanced nations, Kakodkar stated that India's per capita energy consumption must increase fourfold.

"Now that directly means that there is a correlation between the per capita energy consumption...and so it would mean something like four times more energy access on per capita basis compared to what we have today. As I said earlier, all this has to be in the form of clean energy...From where this clean energy can come? One of the most talked about clean energy sources is renewable energy," he said.

The scientist noted that India faces a dual challenge: meeting the climate change threat to reach net-zero by 2070, while simultaneously closing a massive development deficit.

He noted that India's nuclear future hinges on a strategic transition from limited uranium resources to its vast thorium reserves to secure clean energy for centuries to come.

"India is blessed with huge thorium resources and that, in fact, we are the world's largest endowment of thorium on Indian soil. Now, but as I said, thorium doesn't have fissile content. So you can't start a nuclear program with thorium. And that is how the Indian program is begin with uranium. But then whatever plutonium will come out as a byproduct as you produce electricity, these reactors also convert some of the fertile materials in the uranium case, uranium 238 into plutonium and that plutonium-uranium, it kind of breeds very well in fast neutron spectrum," he explained.

The scientist highlighted the significance of the 500-megawatt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), which makes India only the second country in the world, after Russia, to operate a fast reactor at such a scale.

He mentioned that this reactor serves as both an electricity factory and a nuclear fuel factory, expanding the nation's fuel resources while generating power.

Regarding the goal of becoming a "Viksit Bharat" by 2047, Kakodkar acknowledged that current technological doubling time, roughly 30 to 35 years for oxide-fueled reactors, present a timeline challenge. To accelerate growth, India is developing metallic fuel technology and concurrent fuel recycle facilities, which would allow nuclear capacity to double in a much shorter timeframe.

"2047 is a date India is going to survive for centuries or maybe thousands of years. So you need to secure our energy sources at least till fusion energy comes on scene," Kakodkar stated.

To bridge the immediate gap, the scientist noted that the government is pursuing a mission to reach 100 gigawatts of nuclear capacity. This relies on indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) being deployed in fleet mode.

Kakodkar mentioned that with the upcoming commissioning of units in Rajasthan and Kudankulam, India is poised to cross the 10,000-megawatt mark, providing the necessary feedstock for future thorium-based stages.

Addressing the political landscape, Kakodkar observed that the Indian political system has broadly supported nuclear development.

"But I think as we are moving forward, India is advancing, India is learning. So this also will happen. I think the issue before us is this has to happen fast. But otherwise this will happen. And I don't think there is a problem of political support if we come forward and say that we will do it. They [government] are always supporting," he stated.

- ANI