1. The Role of Nuclear Power in Sustainable
Development : Indian Context
K.Balu,
Former Director, Nuclear Recycle Group,BARC

2.  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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3. 3

4.  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)

5. 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)

6.  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)

7.  No Obnoxious Gases causing:
 Global Warming & Climate Change
 Acid Rain
 Hole in Ozone Layer
 Air Quality Degradation

9. Environmental Impacts
Fossil Fuels
•Global climate change
•Air quality degradation (coal, oil)
•Lake acidification and forest damage (coal, oil)
•Toxic waste contamination (coal, ash and slag, abatement residues)
•Groundwater contamination
•Marine and coastal pollution (oil)
•Resource depletion
Hydroelectric
•Population displacement
•Land loss and change in use
•Ecosystem changes and health effects
•Loss of biodiversity
•Dam failure

10. Environmental Impacts (Contd…)
Renewables (Solar, wind, geothermal, biomass)
•Air quality degradation (geothermal, biomass)
•Extensive land use
•Ecosystem changes
•Fabrication impact (solar photovoltaic cells)
•Noise pollution (wind)
Nuclear (full energy chain)
•Severe reactor accident release
•Waste repository release

13. • A country of the size of India cannot afford to plan its
economy on the basis of large scale import of energy
resources or energy technology
• Indigenous development of energy technologies based
on domestic fuel resources should be a priority for us.
• Nuclear power must contribute about a quarter
of the total electric power required 50 yrs from
Now

14.  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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15.  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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16. Classification of Reactor Systems
Thermal Reactors Fast Reactors
Fission is sustained primarily by Fission is sustained primarily by
thermal neutrons ( E ~ 0.025 eV). fast neutrons (E ~ 1 MeV)
Moderator (Ordinary water, heavy No moderator used. Compact core.
water, graphite, beryllium) is High core power density – liquid
required to slow down the high metal or helium gas as coolant.
energy fission neutrons. Large core.
Higher number of neutrons
Very high fission cross-section for available for capture in fertile
thermal neutrons, less fuel material. Breeding possible.
inventory.
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17. ENERGY
REFINING
(U & Th CONCT.) U 235 FRESH
ENRICHMENT FUEL
NUCLEAR
RECYCLED POWER
FUEL PLANT
FABRICATION
Th232, U238 U233, Pu239 SPENT
MINING U & Th FUEL
ORES REPROCESSING
CLOSED
FISSION CYCLE
PRODUCTS OPEN
WASTE CYCLE
CONDITIONING
WASTE DISPOSAL
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18. 
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