The Role of Nuclear Power in Sustainable Development : Indian Context

K.Balu,

Former Director, Nuclear Recycle Group,BARC

Our dream to realise a quality of life for people commensurate with other developed countries - Needs generation of 5000 kWh /year per capita, Demands a total capacity of 7500 billion kWh /year for a population of 1.5 billion by 2050, Calls for a strategic growth in electricity generation considering:

Energy resources, self sufficiency, Effect on local, regional & global environment, Health externalities, Demand profile & energy import scenario.

Our study indicates a necessity to meet more than 1/4th of electricity generation by nuclear.

Nuclear energy to play a progressively increasing role for non- grid-based-electricity applications (Hydrogen generation, Desalination, Compact power packs).

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Highly Concentrated Source of Energy

1 kg wood : 1 Kw·h

1 kg coal : 3 Kw·h

1 kg oil : 4 Kw·h

1 kg uranium : 50,000 Kw·h (3,500,000 Kw·h with reprocessing)

Operation of a 1000 MW(e) plant will require each year:

Coal : 2,600,000 Te coal (2000 train cars of 1300 t each)

Oil : 2 000 000 Te oil (10 supertankers)

Uranium : 30 Te uranium (One Truck Load)

Typical Fossil and Nuclear sites : 1–4 km²

Solar thermal or photovoltaic (PV) parks : 20–50 km² (a small town)

Wind fields : 50–150 km²

Biomass plantations : 4000–6000 km² (a province)

No Obnoxious Gases causing:

Global Warming & Climate Change Acid Rain Hole in Ozone Layer Air Quality Degradation

Fossil FuelsGlobal climate changeAir quality degradation (coal, oil)Lake acidification and forest damage (coal, oil)Toxic waste contamination (coal, ash and slag, abatement residues)Groundwater contaminationMarine and coastal pollution (oil)Resource depletion

HydroelectricPopulation displacementLand loss and change in useEcosystem changes and health effectsLoss of biodiversityDam failure

Environmental Impacts

Renewables (Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass)Air quality degradation (geothermal, biomass)Extensive land useEcosystem changesFabrication impact (solar photovoltaic cells)Noise pollution (wind)

Nuclear (full energy chain)Severe reactor accident releaseWaste repository release

Environmental Impacts (Contd…)

• A country of the size of India cannot afford to plan its A country of the size of India cannot afford to plan its economy on the basis of large scale import of energy economy on the basis of large scale import of energy resources or energy technologyresources or energy technology

• Indigenous development of energy technologies based Indigenous development of energy technologies based on domestic fuel resources should be a priority for us.on domestic fuel resources should be a priority for us.

• Nuclear power Nuclear power must contribute about a quarter of must contribute about a quarter of the total electric power required 50 yrs from Nowthe total electric power required 50 yrs from Now

Uranium-235 is the only naturally occurring fissile isotope.

Plutonium-239 and Uranium-233 are man-made fissile isotopes which can be produced in a reactor.

Uranium 238 (99.3% of natural uranium) on absorbing neutrons in a nuclear reactor, gets converted to Plutonium-239.

Thorium-232, another naturally occurring element, on absorbing neutrons in a nuclear reactor, gets converted to Uranium-233.

The converted fissile materials (Pu-239 & U-233) can be recovered by reprocessing the spent fuel from a reactor.- Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle

In breeder reactors (practically, Fast Breeder Reactors) it is possible to produce more fissile material than that gets consumed.

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To facilitate long term use of nuclear power, a sustainable nuclear fuel strategy, closed nuclear fuel cycle & thorium utilisation is essential.

The Indian nuclear power programme has three major stages:

Nat. U in PHWRs

Pu in FBRs

U-233, Th in advanced reactors [a possibility of synergy with Accelerator Driven Systems (ADS)].

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Classification of Reactor Systems

Thermal Reactors

Fission is sustained primarily by thermal neutrons ( E ~ 0.025 eV).

Moderator (Ordinary water, heavy water, graphite, beryllium) is required to slow down the high energy fission neutrons. Large core.

Very high fission cross-section for thermal neutrons, less fuel inventory.

Fast Reactors

Fission is sustained primarily by fast neutrons (E ~ 1 MeV)

No moderator used. Compact core. High core power density – liquid metal or helium gas as coolant.

Higher number of neutrons available for capture in fertile material. Breeding possible.

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FRESH FUEL

RECYCLED FUELFABRICATION

REPROCESSING

REFINING(U & Th CONCT.) 235U

ENRICHMENT NUCLEAR POWER PLANT

SPENT FUEL

WASTE CONDITIONING

MINING U & ThORES

CLOSEDCYCLE

OPENCYCLE

WASTE DISPOSAL

Th232,

U238

U233, Pu239

FISSIONPRODUCTS

ENERGY

Current:

4560 MW from 19 Nuclear reactors

Future Goals

64,000 MW by year 2032

14,000 from 700 MW PHWRs 40,000 from a mix of LWRs & PHWRs