A new phase in the Indian nuclear programme has commenced. Following ratification by the Government of the Safeguards Agreement between IAEA and the Indian nuclear establishment, decks have finally been cleared for India to take off on an ambitious nuclear power programme, which for the first time includes advanced light water reactor imports, augmentation of India's scarce uranium resources from abroad, and nuclear interaction and commerce with advanced as well as developing countries.

The target for nuclear power installed capacity by 2020 has been pushed up to 50,000 MWe - a big jump on its original target of 20,000 MW. The Integrated Energy Policy envisages reaching nuclear power capacity of 63000 MW by 2032 from the present 4120 MW: This large quantum of nuclear power would be nearly 15 per cent of India's present total electricity generation.

How is this big leap to be realised? A major component of hiked nuclear power target for 2020 is the proposed import of 30000 MW advanced light water reactors from France, USA and Russia during the decade ahead. This would be additional to Indian indigenous PHWR design reactor construction, which will be enhanced by augmentation of the country's scarce uranium resources by uranium imports.

Negotiations with France, Russia and USA for import of advanced light water reactors “are already in progress”, Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and head of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) said in an authoritative interview.

Areva, the French nuclear technology leader, has offered its top of the line 1600 MW nuclear reactor - European Pressurized Water Reactor (EPR). Considered to be one of the most advanced and highest capacity reactor worldwide, with the lowest recurring cost, EPR is being offered at Euro 3.5 billion a piece. A site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra has been selected where the French are to build a nuclear park capable of locating nuclear reactors generating upto 10,000 MW of power. To begin with, negotiations are in progress with Areva for construction of two EPR reactors with installed capacity of 3200 MW.

The Russians are already constructing two reactors of VVER design of installed capacity of 2000 MW at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu. The first of these reactors is expected to go critical by December this year, while the second reactor will commence operations by March 2010. The Russian nuclear operator AtomExport has offered to construct eight more VVER design reactors - the most advanced light water reactor with the Russians. Negotiations with the Russians for constructing two more VVER reactors of 1000 MW capacity each at Kudankulam itself are in an advanced stage, it is learnt.

A site at Haripur in West Bengal is to be allocated to the Russians for further nuclear reactors, while sites have been selected in Gujarat and Andhra for American and Japanese companies for nuclear reactors.

Westinghouse is presently negotiating construction of two reactors of installed capacity of 1200 MW each. GE-Hitachi has offered to construct its advanced 1400 MW installed capacity Boiling Water design, light water reactors. GE contends that uranium enriched fuel for its reactors will be the cheapest in the world because of the latest enrichment technology that it has developed. Japanese companies have a major share in both these leading nuclear companies.

Another major push to the Indian nuclear programme is large-scale uranium imports which will ensure adequate fuel for the country's indigenous reactor construction of PHWR design. Negotiations for these imports have been on shortly after the Nuclear Supplier Group's Vienna conclave gave clearance for India's international civil nuclear trade. France and Russia have already delivered 500 tonnes and 2000 tonnes natural uranium respectively to ensure capacity utilization of the 17 operating Indian reactors. Large-scale natural uranium import deals have been concluded with Kazakhstan, Namibia, Mongolia and Argentina to back up accelerating indigenous nuclear capability.

Having mastered PHWR reactor design of 220 MW installed capacity, Indian nuclear establishment is pushing with building PHW reactors of large installed capacity. Tarapur 3 and 4 reactors of 540 MW have been a big success and are working at 92 per cent installed capacity. The NPCIL has commenced pre-construction work on four 700 MW capacity reactors cleared by the Union government in the next round. 500 MW prototype fast breeder construction at Kalpakkam is making satisfactory progress and is expected to be ready by 2011. Two more 500 MW fast breeders based on sodium metal fuel are to follow.

As Bhabha visualized, nuclear power's share of India's total electricity generation is set to enlarge in a big way as availability of fossil fuels - coal, petroleum and gas - decline. Indian nuclear scientists have fulfilled Bhabha's mission by developing nuclear capability along the entire nuclear fuel cycle, building a chain of R&D centres matching those of the advanced countries, and opening the last stage of Bhabha's three-phased route to nuclear capability. Yet, the chapter that commences now will present even bigger challenges - in technology development, expanding scientific human resources, and above all, in developing nuclear industry, a large part of expanding needs having to rest in the private sector.

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's impending visit to the United States will be watched for the expected clearance for American reprocessing technology transfer to India in order to build the dedicated reprocessing plant for handling imported nuclear reactor spent fuel. Spent fuel reactor reprocessing for light water reactors incorporates a special technology since the fuel in these reactors is enriched uranium, while Indian design reactors use natural uranium. To fulfill this aspect of the Indo-US civilian nuclear cooperation deal, America is morally bound to provide to India this advanced reprocessing technology. (IPA Service)