Kakodkar confident of meeting 2020 target of nuclear power generation

“In the next two-and-half to three years, an additional 3,160 MW will be produced. With this, our nuclear power generation capacity will cross 7,000 MW.”

Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar interacts with the media after the inauguration of 26th DAE Safety and Occupational Health Professionals Meet in Kolkata on Monday.

With the setting up of nuclear power parks and plants with international civil nuclear co-operation, the country will be able to achieve the 2020 target set by it for energy generation from nuclear sources, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) Anil Kakodkar said here on Monday.

Asked if India would be able to achieve the target of 40,000 MW of power, Dr. Kakodkar elaborated on the projects on the anvil.

Additional 3,160 MW

“In the next two-and-half to three years, an additional 3,160 MW will be produced. With this, our nuclear power generation capacity will cross 7,000 MW.” Four more units would be ready in five years from now.

With international civil nuclear cooperation, 10 units would come up by the year 2015 or 2016. Two units, in collaboration with Russia, were planned in Koodankulam, two with French collaboration at Jaitapur and similarly in Haripur, Gujarat and Orissa.

Land acquisition

On land acquisition for nuclear power plants, he said there were difficulties in some places, but they were solved.

“The fact is that rehabilitation has to be done with a human touch. We will not do anything against people’s wish.”

Speaking at the inauguration of the 26th DAE Safety and Occupational Health Professionals meet, Dr. Kakodkar said it was appropriate that the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) was paying more attention to safety in the industrial domain at a time when expansion was on at the DAE.

Construction was on at about 24 places and new projects would begin at nearly eight sites. The DEA needed to focus on safety in three main domains — nuclear reactors and waste, industrial safety and environmental safety, he said.

Accidents

In the presidential address, AERB vice-chairman S.K. Chande said though safety standards were in place, serious lapses continued to take place resulting in accidents at DAE units.

Since December 2008, while there were three fatal accidents at construction sites, five people died in a major fire at the Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL) in Hyderabad, he said.

“It is painful not just because these lives were lost, but because the fire was caused by sheer negligence and total disregard for safety precautions,” he said.