Former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam has said that the country needs nuclear energy as it is a clean energy unlike energy generated by burning fossil fuel.
Speaking to reporters during an informal chat with the media after the inauguration of the seminar on ‘Technology-enabled training’ at the Indian Naval Academy (INA) here on Friday, Dr. Kalam, a strong advocate of nuclear power, said in response to a query on continuing concerns about safety of Kudankulam nuclear power plant that every watt of electricity was important for the country. Generation of electricity by burning the fossil fuel was not environmentally sensible as every one litre fossil fuel used for generating energy produces two kilograms of carbon dioxide. Nuclear plants generates clean energy, he said.
Asked about the safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear plant accident in Japan last year, the former President said that that there are 546 nuclear reactors currently operating in different countries in the world. He, however, added that the country had to focus on alternative energy sources such as wind and solar energy.
Earlier, during an interactive session following his keynote address, Dr. Kalam said that in India all the nuclear reactors are Uranium-based. India is blessed with thorium as one-third of the total world thorium reserve is in the country, he said. Thorium, however, is not a fissile material, he said adding that the country needed fast breeders to convert thorium into a fissile material.
