S & T » Science Published: June 28, 2013 22:21 IST | Updated: June 28, 2013 22:21 IST AEC chief vouches for safety of nuclear reactors in India Staff Reporter DAE R.K. Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, addressing the IAEA International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power in the 21st Century in St. Petersburg, Russia. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) will be able to meet the future regulatory demands for the safety of nuclear reactors based on several different designs and technologies, claimed Dr. R.K. Sinha, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on Friday. He was speaking at the 2013 IAEA International Ministerial Conference on Nuclear Power held at St. Petersburg in Russia. “The regulatory practices followed and the standards developed by AERB are in line with IAEA Safety Standards and international best practices. With over three decades of experience and established plan for augmentation of regulatory resources, AERB will be able to meet the future regulatory demands for reactors based on several different designs and technologies, and their associated fuel cycle facilities,” said Dr. Sinha in his speech, the copy of which was made available to the reporters by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). Dr. Sinha said that following the Fukushima-Daiichi accident in Japan, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and AERB, independently conducted extensive safety reviews, pursuant to which necessary measures to further augment safety of India’s operating Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs), under extreme external events, have been taken. WHO Report Referring to the report by World Health Organisation, he said that despite its conservative approach, the WHO Report concludes that the possible impact of Fukushima accident on the health of the population in the affected regions is practically insignificant. He also said that as per the press release issued at the conclusion of the 60th Session of the Vienna-based United Nations Scientific Committee on the Effect of Atomic Radiation (UNSCEAR), also said that the radiation exposure following the nuclear accident at Fukushima-Daiichi did not cause any immediate health effects and it is unlikely to be able to attribute any health effects in the future among the general public and the vast majority of workers. “India, as one of the leaders in nuclear technology, remains committed to the highest levels of safety in its NPPs and in the associated fuel cycle facilities,” he said. PHWRs Lauding India’s indigenously designed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), Dr. Sinha said that apart from four such reactors, currently being constructed two each at existing sites of Kakrapar in Gujarat and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, 16 more PHWRs of 700 MWe capacity will be progressively taken up for construction at five different inland sites already identified. “India is also planning to set up Pressurised Water Reactors of indigenous design by mid 2020s,” he said. Kudankulam plant Appreciating the long-standing nuclear co-operation between India and the Russia, he said that unit-1 of Kudankulam NPP is in an advanced stage of commissioning, following multi-tier safety reviews. “The unit-2 is envisaged to follow suit about six months thereafter,” he said. Jaitapur plant Interestingly, at a time when the chairman of AEC laid out the possible future developments of India’s nuclear industry for next 20 years in his speech, he did not even mention the Indian government’s ambitious 9900 MWe Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) in front of the international audience gathered for the conference. The project which is facing stern opposition from locals is supposed to have six European Pressurised Reactors (EPRs) with each of a capacity of 1650 MWe. Nuclear Policy “There is no shift in the policy on nuclear power in India that is based on the utilisation of India’s nuclear resources of modest uranium and abundant thorium, through the closed fuel cycle option, and the 3-stage programme, aimed at large-scale deployment of Thorium in the long-term,” he made it clear. Dr. Sinha said that, energy is one of the main drivers for the growth of human civilisation and it is imperative to achieve sustainable means to meet the developmental aspirations of the global mankind, without affecting the environment. “Nuclear energy is an important component of an energy mix for sustainable long-term energy security,” he said. Keywords: Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, Sinha, nuclear safety, Kudankulam nuclear plant, nuclear safety, nuclear liability, KKNPP, India nuclear policy, AEC chief R.K. Sinha, Department of Atomic Energy Printable version | Jun 28, 2013 11:05:44 PM | thehindu/sci-tech/science/aec-chief-vouches-for-safety-of-nuclear-reactors-in-india/article4860580.ece © The Hindu
Posted on: Fri, 28 Jun 2013 17:40:06 +0000
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