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Energy shortage the larger issue, says Anil Kakodkar

N. Rahul

“The demand for power in the country will increase ten-fold by 2050”

— Photo G. Krishnaswamy.

Power talks: Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, having a word with N. Saibaba, Deputy Chief Executive, Nuclear Fuel Complex, in the complex in Hyderabad on Saturday. At right is R.N. Jayaraj, Chief Executive Officer, NFC.

HYDERABAD: Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, has said that the mismatch between demand and supply of energy in the country is an issue larger than the imbalance in nuclear fuel.

The energy crisis faced by India is likely to worsen in proportion to the economic growth. To overcome the situation, the country requires additional energy resources which are many times more than what is available now, Dr. Kakodkar said at the annual day celebrations of the National Fuel Complex (NFC) here on Saturday.

He said the demand for electricity would increase ten-fold by 2050. After taking into account all available generation options, the country would still be left with a power shortage of 400 giga watts (one giga watt is equal to one billion watts). The shortage would be four times the current production levels.

It was in this context that import of fuel — uranium — to bridge the gap through civilian nuclear cooperation assumed significance. The situation would largely ease if uranium required for generation of 30,000-40,000 MW of power was imported, he said adding that nuclear energy was an inevitable option under the circumstances.

Dr. Kakodkar observed that there was a huge shortage in the supply of uranium, although the country was on the road to increasing production.

The proposed uranium mining projects in Meghalaya, Rajasthan and Karnataka would supplement the requirement.

Owing to this shortage, the National Power Corporation of India Limited operated at only 50 per cent capacity utilisation. The government agreed to sanction four more units of 700 MW each to NPCIL but they would be constructed only after fuel linkages were established.

S.A. Bhardwaj, Director (Technical), NPCIL, and Chairman, NFC Board, said there were a lot of opportunities in nuclear business. V.C. Sawhney, Director, Raja Ramanna Centre for Advanced Technology, Indore, spoke. R.N. Jayaraj, Chief Executive Officer, NFC, handed over an RRR grade niobium sheet, a product of NFC, to Mr. Sawhney.

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