The document discusses declaring the coastal zone between Rama Setu and Cochi in India as a Strategic Security Zone under military control due to its strategic importance. This coastal region contains 32% of the world's thorium reserves vital for India's nuclear energy program as well as titanium. It notes the need to protect this zone from threats like the proposed Setusamudram shipping canal project and alleged illegal export of coastal sands containing strategic minerals.
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Ramasetustrategicsecurity
1. Rama Setu to Cochi: strategic security zone
National security imperative is that coastal zone between Rama Setu and Cochi should be
declared as Strategic Security Zone; under the direct control of India’s armed forces. The coastal
sands of this coast contains (1) 32% of the world’s thorium reserves vital for nuclear energy
program and (2) also titanium, a space age metal.
Setusamudram channel project has internationalized the historic waters (recognized under UN
Law of the Sea, 1958) in Gulf of Mannar and jeopardised rights commonly, historically enjoyed by
India and Srilanka with serious consequences to national sovereignty and integrity. (USA refuses
to recognize the ‘historic waters’ declaration of India and Srilanka and operationally asserted the
refusal by sending warships to Gulf of Mannar in 1994, 1996, 1999, 2000, 2002).
The recent reports of export of coastal sands containing strategic minerals have highlighted the
strategic security implications if the coastal zone between Rama Setu and Cochi is not
immediately protected by India’s Defence forces. This coastal zone contains in just three villages
(Manavalakurichi of Tamil Nadu and Aluva, Chavara of Kerala) 32% of the world’s thorium
reserves.
The urgent demand, in view of the present and imminent danger to India’s national security and
reported exports of sands containing strategic minerals, is that:
• An immediate notification be issued by the President of India, banning the private
leases of coastal sands and declaring these as national treasure to be protected and
used only indigenously to support the nation’s strategic nuclear and space programs.
• Considering the national security imperative, the entire coastal zone between Rama
Setu and Cochi with titanium-containing sands and the world’s largest reserves of
thorium containing sands (called ilmenite, monazite, rutile, garnet, zircon) should be
declared as Strategic Security zone and brought under the direct security control of
the Joint Command of the Indian Army, Navy and Airforce.
See court papers related to alleged export of the coastal sands from this coastal zone at
http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/courtpapers1/
There are four places on earth which are the target for exploitation of the richest mineral
resources on earth:
Manavalakurichi, Tamil Nadu
Chavara, Kerala
Chatrapur, Orissa
Pulmoddai, Sri Lanka
These four locations have coastal sands containing ilmenite and monazite among other minerals.
Ilmenite and Monazite sands yield Titanium and Thorium.
In his speech to the Parliament in March 2007, the President of India said that the current
electricity generation capacity in India is 120000 MW and is expected to increase to 400000 MW
by the year 2030. Bhaba Atomic Research Center (BARC) estimates that about 30 % of world's
thorium deposits, or about 225000 tons of thorium, are found on the beaches of Kerala. This will
support about 387 years of electricity generation at 2030 capacity levels!
http://www.ivarta.com/columns/OL_070508.htm
Ilmenite Sand export from Tuticorin port increased from 0.21 lakh tonnes in 2000-01 to 0.62 lakh
tonnes in 2001-02 registering an increase of 195.24%.
http://www.tamilnadunri.com/docs/tn/infrastructure/TuticorinPort.doc
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2. Similar exports of strategic mineral sands occur from Pulmoddai (near Trincomalee) in Srilanka
which is now under LTTE control. This leads to a possibility that the Setu channel as a mid-ocean
passage is likely to be used such export operatives, particularly after it gets recognized as
international waters under pressure from USA.
Annex 1 Protect Rama Setu, the historic and holy monument: Statement issued by Shri. V.R.Krishna Iyer
former Supreme Court Judge on 14 August 2007
Annex 2 Rama Setu in richest thorium coast of the world
Annex 3 Geological and Mineral map of Tamilnadu and Pondicherry, 1995 Scale 1: 500,000 (Published by
Director General, Geological Survey of India)
Annex 4 Needed: Mines and minerals regulatory authority of India
Annex 5 Why Thorium?
Annex 6 Notice sent to Secy., DAE, Govt. of India and Hon’ble PM of India
Annex 7 First Information Report and related court papers (19 pages) may be downloaded from:
http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/courtpapers1/
Annex 8 Failure to protect thorium and Ramsetu (intertwined earth science phenomena)
Annex 9 Former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: thorium for energy independence
Annex 10 1st thorium unit in India soon
Annex 11 India's importance in global nuclear renaissance up: Chidambaram
Annex 12 RSS for use of thorium deposits
Annex 13 A strategy for growth of electrical energy in India
Annex 14 Foreign firms interested in India’s thorium deposits
Annex 15 Fast-breeder reactors more important for India
Annex 16 Design and development of the AHWR—the Indian thorium fuelled innovative nuclear reactor
Annex 17 Thorium: UIC Briefing Paper # 67
Annex 18 Sensitivity analysis for AHWR fuel cluster parameters using different WIMS
Annex 19 Role of small and medium-sized reactors
Annex 20 India's nuclear power programme moves ahead
Annex 21 Nuclear power using thorium
Annex 22 SLN ship under siege off Pulmoddai coast
Annex 23 An overview of world thorium resources, incentives for further exploration and forecast for thorium
requirements in the near future (KMV Jayaram)
S. Kalyanaraman, Ph.D. Former Sr. Exec., Asian Development Bank,
Director, Sarasvati Research Centre, 3 Temple Avenue, Chennai 600015 kalyan97@gmail.com
4 September 2007
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3. Annex 1
Protect Rama Setu, the historic and holy monument: Statement issued by Shri.
V.R.Krishna Iyer former Supreme Court Judge on 14 August 2007
According to Mr.Cardoze, famous U.S legal luminary, ''Means un lawful in their
inception do not become lawful by relation when suspicion turns in to discovery.''
These words come to me when I talk of the Sethusamudaram Canel Project. The
callousness with which such a big project is conceptualized and implemented is an
unpardonable act.
First of all I would like to state that neither I nor any patriotic citizen could support
this project. It is a serious fault that neither scientists, technocrats nor Indian Navy
had been consulted and sought their opinions before this project was conceptualized.
More over the project is an open challenge to age old Hindu beliefs.
At least the opinion that the implementation of this project as envisaged now may
lead to oceanic eruptions like Tsunami should be considered and studied.
According Shri Kalyanaraman, the reputed researcher, this project would invite
disasters like Tsunami to our southern coast and pose as a threat to the valuable
mineral sand deposits along this coast.
Unlike in the case of Suez Canal, this canal penetrates deep in to the seabed. All this
testifies that the construction of the canal is unwarranted.
I suspect that the haste with which the project is proposed to be completed, ignoring
the welfare and progress of he people of India may be to further the interests of
countries like America. About this I had send an emergency message to our Hon.
Prime Minister.
What ever it maybe, it is the duty of every Indian to see that this historic and holy
monument is protected. With out succumbing to the pressures from foreign forces all
should strongly oppose this project.
I call upon each Indian to come forward and fight for such an important cause with
out compromise.
Malayalam original; Sd. VR Krishna Iyer
Letter of Hon'ble V.R . Krishna Iyer (Former Judge, Supreme Court) to Hon'ble Prime
Minister of India.
http://hinduthought.googlepages.com/krishnaiyer13april2007.jpg/krishnaiyer13april
2007-full.jpg
Paper attached to Hon'ble VR Krishna Iyer's letter
http://rapidshare.com/files/26060268/pilsupremecourtramsethu1.doc.html
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4. Annex 2
Rama Setu in richest thorium coast of the world
http://kalyan97.files.wordpress.com/2007/08/monazitemap1.jpg
http://kalyan97.wordpress.com/2007/08/29/581/
Resources map:
Geology and minerals,
Geological Survey of
India (Based upon
Survey of India
toposheet No. 58H
First Edition 1969)
Explanatory note:
Mineral resources
(heavy minerals –
beach placers)
Heavy mineral
concentrations
(including ilmenite,
rutile, garnet and
monazite) occur in
beach sands as
localized pockets
along the east coast
and between Kolachel
and Kanniyakumari on
the west coast over a
distance of nearly 75
km. Significant
concentration occurs
between Vattakottai
and Lipuram and the
famous
Manavalakurichi
deposit, which
extends over a length
of 5 to 6 km. With a
width of 3 to 5 m from
the mouth of Valliyur
River. The beach
placers on an average contain 45 to 55% ilmenite, 7 to 14% garnet, 4 to 5% zircon,
3 to 4% monazite. 2 to 3% sillimanite, 2 to 3% rutile, 0.5 to 1% leucoxene and 10
to 25% others, including silica. (Database 1984)
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5. Annex 3
Geological and Mineral map of Tamilnadu and Pondicherry, 1995 Scale 1: 500,000
(Published by Director General, Geological Survey of India)
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6. Annex 4
Needed: Mines and minerals regulatory authority of India
With the privatisation of mines in 2002, there is an urgency to create a Mines and
Minerals Regulatory Authority of India, particularly for strategic minerals.
Strategic minerals are monazite, ilmenite and rutile sands which contain thorium and
titanium. Titanium is a space age mineral; thorium is the mainstay of the nation’s
nuclear program with the potential to make the nation energy independent.
Minerals policy is coming up for discussion in the Parliament in the current session
(from August 2007). This issue of national security and sovereignty and the
imperative of attaining a developed nation status will necessitate the conservation of
the mineral wealth of the nation and NOT allow it to be looted for temporary gains.
For example, instead of merely producing titanium oxide in the Tata plants at
Sattankulam (Tamilnadu) or Chattarpur (Orissa) using the mineral placer deposit
sands, there should be plants to produce thorium and titanium metals and reserve
them for the nation’s strategic development imperatives.
Some notes follow which will have an impact on development of SEZs ensuring
sustainable development for an essentially agrarian nation living in over 6 lakh
villages.
Thorium has been extracted chiefly from monazite through a multi-stage process. In
the first stage, the monazite sand is dissolved in an inorganic acid such as sulfuric
acid (H2SO4). In the second, the Thorium is extracted into an organic phase
containing an amine. Next it is separated or quot;strippedquot; using an anion such as
nitrate, chloride, hydroxide, or carbonate, returning the thorium to an aqueous
phase. Finally, the thorium is precipitated and collected. Source: Crouse, David;
Brown, Keith (December 1959). quot;The Amex Process for Extracting Thorium Ores with
Alkyl Aminesquot;.Industrial & Engineering Chemistry 51 (12): 1461. Retrieved on 2007-
03-09
K.M.V. Jayaram. An Overview of World Thorium Resources, Incentives for Further
Exploration and Forecast for Thorium Requirements in the Near Future
Mirror: http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/thoriumdeposits/
Under the prevailing estimate, Australia and India have particularly large reserves of
thorium. Thorium reserves:
Australia 300,000
India 290,000
Norway 170,000
United States 160,000
Canada 100,000
South Africa 35,000
Brazil 16,000
Malaysia 4,500
Other Countries 95,000
1,200,000
World Total
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7. Source: US Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries (1997-2006); ^
U.S. Geological Survey, Mineral Commodity Summaries - Thorium. Information
and Issue Briefs - Thorium. World Nuclear Association. Retrieved on 2006-11-01.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thorium
Vanishing thorium and nuke deal; are they interlinked?
Of course, according to scientists, the accumulation of placer deposits is substantially
contributed by Rama Setu acting as a sieve and the unique pattern of ocean currents
in Hindumahaasaagar. Who will take care of the nation's wealth so essential to the
nation's nuke programme?
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8. Annex 5
Why Thorium?
-India has 1/3 of the world's reserves of Thorium
Thorium produces 10 to 10,000 times less long-lived radioactive waste than uranium
or plutonium reactors. Thorium comes out of the ground as a 100% pure, usable
isotope, which does not require enrichment, whereas natural uranium contains only
0.7% fissionable U235.
http://www.indembassyathens.gr/India-
nuclear%20energy/India_nuclear%20energy_thorium.htm
http://www.abc.net.au/quantum/scripts98/9820/thoriumscpt.htm
A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that consumes fissile and fertile material at the
same time as it creates new fissile material. Production of fissile material in a reactor
occurs by neutron irradiation of fertile material, particularly Uranium-238 and
Thorium-232. In a breeder reactor, these materials are deliberately provided, either
in the fuel or in a breeder blanket surrounding the core, or most commonly in both.
Production of fissile material takes place to some extent in the fuel of all current
commercial nuclear power reactors. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Breeder_reactor
The present status of various fuel-resources in India is given in the table 1. The
domestic mineable coal (about 38 BT) and the estimated hydrocarbon reserves
(about 12 BT) together may provide about 1200 EJ of energy.
The electricity potential from thorium-metal in breeders is shown as 155,502 GWe-
yr. This metal alone has the potential to ensure energy independence for India.
Thus, the conservation and safeguarding of the thorium reserves becomes a
strategic responsibility.
Table 1: Primary energy & electricity resources
Electricity
Amount
Thermal energy potential
EJ TWh GWYr GWe-Yr
Fossil
Coal 38 -BT 667 185,279 21,151 7,614
Hydrocarbon 12 -BT 511 141,946 16,204 5,833
Non-Fossil
Nuclear
Uranium-Metal 61,000 -T
In PHWRs 28.9 7,992 913 328
In Fast breeders 3,699 1,027,616 117,308 42,231
Thorium-Metal 2,25,000 -T
In Breeders 13,622 3,783,886 431,950 155,502
Renewable
Hydro 150 -GWe 6.0 1,679 192 69
Non-conventional
renewable 100 -GWe 2.9 803 92 33
Assumptions for Potential Calculations
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9. Fossil
1. Complete Source is used for calculating electricity potential with a thermal
efficiency of 0.36.
2. Calorific Values: Coal: 4,200 kcal/kg, Hydrocarbon: 10,200 kcal/kg.
3. Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas [7]has set strategic goals for the next two
decades (2001-2020) of ‘doubling reserve accretion’ to 12 BT (Oil + Oil equivalent
gas) and “improving recovery factor’ to the order of 40%. Considering the fact that
exploration is a dynamic process and India is one of the les explored countries,
reference [3] assumes that cumulative availability of hydrocarbons up to 2052 will be
12 BT.
Non-Fossil
Thermal energy is the equivalent fossil energy required to produce electricity with a
thermal efficiency of 0.36.
Nuclear
1. PHWR burn-up = 6,700 MWd/T of U-oxide, thermal efficiency 0.29
2. It has been assumed that complete fission of 1kg. of fissile material gives 1000
MWd of thermal energy. Fast reactor thermal efficiency is assumed to be 42%. Fast
breeders can use 60% of the Uranium. This is an indicative number. Actual value will
be determined as one proceeds with the programme and gets some experience. Even
if it is half of this value the scenario presented does not change.
3. Breeders can use 60% Thorium with thermal efficiency 42%. At this stage, type of
reactors wherein thorium will be used are yet to be decided. The numbers are only
indicative.
Hydro
1. Name plate capacity is 150 GWe.
2. Estimated hydro- potential of 600 billion kWh and name plate capacity of 150,000
MWe gives a capacity factor of 0.46.
Non-conventional renewable
1. Includes: Wind 45 GWe, Small Hydro 15 GWe, Biomass Power/ Co-generation
19.5 GWe and Waste to Energy 1.7 GWe etc.
2. Capacity factor of 0.33 has been assumed for potential calculations.
http://www.dae.gov.in/iaea/ak-paris0305.doc
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10. Annex 6
Notice sent to Secy., DAE, Govt. of India and Hon’ble PM of India
http://kalyan97.wordpress.com/2007/08/31/
Chennai, 31 August 2007
To:
Secretary, DAE, Govt. of India, New Delhi Dr. Anil Kakodkar Fax. 02222048476
Cc: Prime Minister of India, Hon’ble Dr. Manmohan Singh 01123019545 Fax.
01123016857
cc: Principal Scientific Adviser, 01123022113
Re: Alleged export of sands containing thorium from the richest nuclear material
coastline of the world
The coastline between Rama Setu (Rameshwaram) and Cochin constitutes the
richest nuclear material coastline of the world yielding thorium (nuclear mineral) and
titanium (space age mineral). Both these are strategic for the nation’s development
and to achieve India Vision 2020 with energy independence (avoidance of
dependence upon imported uranium by developing thorium-based breeder reactors)
and autonomous space development programmes. In India, both Kakrapar-1 and -
2 units are loaded with 500 kg of thorium fuel in order to improve their operation
when newly-started. Thorium occurs in several minerals, the most common being
the rare earth-thorium-phosphate mineral, monazite, which contains up to about
12% thorium oxide, but average 6-7%...There are also reports of loss of thorium
from Indian Rare Earths Limited stocks. Destruction of Rama Setu will severely
impact the accumulation of such placer deposits of rare earths and next tsunami
through the mid-ocean channel will devastate the placer deposits and move them,
almost irretrievably, into the depths of the ocean. I am bringing this to the notice of
Govt. of India under Section 26 of the Atomic Energy Act 1962 and other sections
detailed below, a cognizable offence related to stockpiling/trading in nuclear minerals
containing monazite and ilmenite/rutile/garnet placer deposits along Tamilnadu and
Kerala coast (Manavalakurichi, Aluva, Chavara and other places such as Sattankulam
where titanium dioxide plant is sought to be set up using sands which also contain
thorium 233/urainin 233).
Uranium-233 is a fissile artificial isotope of uranium, which is proposed as a nuclear
fuel. It has a half-life of 160,000 years. Uranium-233 is produced by the neutron
irradiation of thorium-232. When thorium-232 absorbs a neutron, it becomes
thorium-233, which has a half-life of only 22 minutes. Thorium-233 decays into
protactinium-233 through beta decay. Protactinium-233 has a half life of 27 days
and beta decays into uranium-233. Hence, thorium in monazite, ilmenite and other
coastal placer deposits is a mineral as defined in the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Since
thorium is vital for the nation’s atomic energy program and for achieving energy
independence, Govt. of India should advice on the steps proposed to be taken to
conserve and protect these stockpiles of nuclear deposits.
Yours sincerely,
S. Kalyanaraman, Ph.D., Former Sr. Exec., Asian Development Bank,
Director, Sarasvati Research Centre,
Chennai 600015 kalyan97@gmail.com 31 August 2007
10
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http://justsamachar.com/local/7/vaikundarajan-gets-preventive-bail/
News report in the New Indian Express of August 11, 2007
Vaikundarajan directed to surrender in court
Friday August 10 2007 09:18 IST
MADURAI: Vaikundarajan, owner of V V Minerals and a shareholder of Jaya TV, was
on Thursday, directed by the Madurai Bench of the High Court to surrender at Eraniel
court. The bench also allowed the police to question him for two days.
Vaikundarajan had filed 20 petitions seeking anticipatory bail. The petitions came up
for hearing before Justice G Rajasuria.
The judge observed that the police had doubts as to where the sand was sent as it
contained nuclear deposits.
Vaikundarajan has claimed that he was not aware of the fact that the sand he mined
contained nuclear particles. The judge said that the case was significant because of
the nuclear content in the sand.
http://tinyurl.com/33nc8t
Vaikundarajan’s office premises raided
Staff Reporter (The Hindu, August 20, 2007)
He is facing the charge of having quarried thorium-rich sand
— Photo: A. Shaikmohideen
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/20/images/2007082057461001.jpg
C. Sridar, Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli (left) and Additional
Superintendent Muthusamy conducting a raid in the office of V.V. Minerals
at Keeraikkaranthattu in Tirunelveli district on Sunday.
TIRUNELVELI: The police raided the factory and office premises of Subbiah
Vaikundarajan at Keeraikaaranthattu near Thisaiyanvilai on Sunday in a case of
alleged export of sand rich in thorium, a radioactive material, to foreign countries.
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13. Revenue Department officials of Kanyakumari district seized six sand-laden lorries at
Meignanapuram. After analyzing the sample, they found that the sand contained
“considerable quantity” of thorium, which cannot be exported by individuals to
foreign countries.
As export of thorium in any form is punishable under the Atomic Energy Commission
Act, Deputy Director (Mines) Manimaran registered a case against Mr.
Vaikundarajan, a leading garnet exporter.
When the officials filed case against Mr. Vaikundarajan for allegedly quarrying the
thorium-rich sand, he challenged it in the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court,
contending that the Tamil Nadu police could not register a case relating to supposed
violation of the Atomic Energy Commission Act.
Dismissing his plea on August 9, the court told Mr. Vaikundarajan to surrender
before a court and that the police would be free to take him into custody for
interrogation. However, there was no progress in the case, as the garnet exporter
failed to surrender before any court, and the police has spread a dragnet for him.
The team, led C. Sridar, Superintendent of Police, Tirunelveli, and Additional
Superintendent of Police Muthusamy, sifted through documents and other files in the
office of V.V. Minerals at Keeraikaaranthattu, and seized some files and computers.
When the police came out of the office premises, factory workers tried to block their
vehicles. Some workers pelted the vehicles with stones.
P. Kannappan, Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, came to
Thisaiyanvilai shortly before 3.30 p.m. and held discussions with the officials who
conducted the raid, examined the documents seized and the data stored in the
computers.
http://www.thehindu.com/2007/08/20/stories/2007082057461000.htm
I am not an enemy of DMK: Vaikundarajan (The Hindu, August 23, 2007)
CHENNAI: S. Vaikundarajan of V.V. Minerals, facing charges in several cases, on
Wednesday said he was neither against the ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam party
nor an “enemy” of Chief Minister M. Karunanidhi.
He was well aware that as a businessman it would be difficult to work against the
Government and appealed to his well wishers not to politicise the case against him.
Mr. Vaikundarajan is a shareholder of Jaya TV.
— Special Correspondent
http://www.hindu.com/2007/08/23/stories/2007082353620400.htm
Police raid Jaya TV partner’s office
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14. Madurai, August 20: Police have carried out raids at the factory and office premises
of V V Minerals, owned by Jaya TV shareholder R Vaikundarajan, facing charges of
illegal mining of thorium, in Tirunelveli district, about 200 km from here.
Police today said they had seized several documents and computer hard discs during
the raid at Keeraikaranthattu yesterday, but declined to give more details, adding
the materials needed to be analysed.
An official of the V V Minerals claimed that the police had seized only some of the
award certificates won by the company and described the raid as an abuse of power.
The police team faced some resistance from employees of the company when they
came out of the office after the raid.
A police vehicle was pelted with stones and slogans were raised against police for
filing quot;false case against Vaikundarajanquot;. They also heckled police for quot;trying to trace
proof after filing the casequot;.
A case was registered in June last under the Atomic Energy Act against
Vaikundarajan and his company after Kanyakumari district revenue officials found
that sand transported by the company contained thorium and monosite.
On August 9 last, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court, directing
Vaikundarajan to surrender in the case while dismissing his plea to quash the FIR,
had posed a series of questions about the nature of exports done by V V Minerals
and whether they were actually usable in atomic energy production. The court also
asked whether the police had any proof that the company exported sand to an
atomic firm and whether the sand actually contained thorium.
It had said police could take Vaikundarajan into custody for further investigations.
However, Vaikundarajan has so far not surrendered before any court and the police
had spread a dragnet for him.
V V Minerals had contended they exported only sand for extraction of garnet and
they were innocent. They alleged that police were harassing them because
Vaikundarajan was a Jaya TV partner. (Agencies)
Published: Monday, August 20, 2007
http://tinyurl.com/2uxng7
ATOMIC ENERGY ACT 1962 NO. 33 OF 1962
26. Cognizance of offences
(1) All offences under this Act shall be cognizable under the Code of Criminal
Procedure, 1898, but no action shall be taken in respect of any person for any
offence under this Act except on the basis of a written complaint made -
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15. (a) in respect of contravention of section 8, 14 or 17 or any rule or order
made thereunder, by the person authorised to exercise powers of entry and
inspection;
(b) in respect of any other contravention, by a person duly authorised to
make such complaints by the Central Government.
2. Definition and Interpretation
(1) In this Act, unless the context otherwise requires,-
(a) quot;atomic energyquot; means energy released from atomic nuclei as a result of
any process, including the fission and fusion processes;
(b) quot;fissile materialquot; means uranium 233, uranium 235, plutonium or any
material containing these substances or any other material that may be declared as
such by notification by the Central Government;
(c) quot;mineralsquot; include all substances obtained or obtaining from the soil
(including alluvium or rocks) by underground or surface working…
8. Power of entry and inspection
(1) Any person authorised by the Central Government may, on producing, if so
required, a duly authenticated document showing his authority, enter any mine,
premises or land -
(a) where he has reason to believe that work is being carried out for the
purpose of or in connection with production and processing of any prescribed
substances or substances from which a prescribed substance can be obtained or
production, development or use of atomic energy or research into matters connected
therewith, or
(b) where any such plant as is mentioned in clause (b) of section 7 is
situated, and may inspect the mine, premises or land and any articles contained
therein.
(2) The person carrying out the inspection may make copies of or extracts from
any drawing, plan or other document found in the mine, premises or land and for the
purpose of making such copies or extracts, may remove any such drawing, plan or
other document after giving a duly signed receipt for the same and retain possession
thereof for a period not exceeding seven days…
10. Compulsory aquisition of rights to work minerals
(1) Where it appears to the Central Government that any minerals from which
in its opinion any of the prescribed substances can be obtained are present inor any
land, either in a natural state or in a deposit of waste material obtained from any
underground or surface working, it may be order provide for compulsorily vesting in
the Central Government the exclusive right, so long as the order remains in force, to
work those minerals and any other minerals which it appears to the Central
Government to be necessary to work with those minerals, and may also provide, by
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16. that order or a subsequent order, for compulsorily vesting in the Central Government
any other ancillary rights which appear to the Central Government to be necessary
for the purpose of working the minerals aforesaid including (without prejudice to the
generality of the foregoing provisions)-
(a) rights to withdraw support;
(b) rights necessary for the purpose of access to or conveyance of the
minerals aforesaid or the ventilation or drainage of the working;
(c) rights to use and occupy the surface of any land for the purpose of
erecting any necessary buildings and installing any necessary plant in connection
with the working of the minerals aforesaid;
(d) rights to use and occupy for the purpose of working the minerals
aforesaid any land forming part of or used in connection with an existing mine or
quarry, and to use or acquire any plant used in connection with any such mine or
quarry, and
(e) rights to obtain a supply of water for any of the pur-poses connected
with the working of the minerals aforesaid, or to dispose of water or other liquid
matter obtained in consequence of working such minerals.
(2) Notice of any order proposed to be made under this section shall be served
by the Central Government -
(a) on all persons who, but for the order, would be entitled to work the
minerals affected; and
(b) on every owner, lessee and occupier (except tenants for a month or for
less than a month) of any land in respect of which rights are proposed to be acquired
under the order…
14. Control over production and use of atomic energy
(1) The Central Government may, subject to such rules as may be made in this
behalf, by order prohibit except under a license granted by it -
(i) the working of any mine or minerals specified in the order, being a mine
or minerals from which in the opinion of the Central Government any of the
prescribed substances can be obtained;
(ii) the acquisition, production, possession, use disposal, export or import-
(a) of any of the prescribed substances; or
(b) of any minerals or other substances specified in the rules, from
which in the opinion of the Central Government any of the prescribed substances can
be obtained; or
(c) of any plant designed or adopted or manufactured for the production,
development and use of atomic energy or for research into matters connected
therewith; or
(d) of any prescribed equipment.
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17. Annex 7
First Information Report and related court papers (19 pages) may be downloaded
from: http://www.slideshare.net/kalyan97/courtpapers1/
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18. Annex 8
Failure to protect thorium and Ramsetu (intertwined earth science phenomena)
The extraordinary fact that the largest reserves of thorium in the world occur on
Kerala sands should force a pause in studying, examining, exploring and
evaluating the geological forces and ocean currents at work in accumulating these
placer deposits which are vital for the nation's nuclear programme. Any project in the
region should be subjected first to this imperative study and evaluation.
http://maritime.haifa.ac.il/departm/lessons/ocean/wwr205.gif This map shows the
unique phenomenon of two ocean currents in two opposing direcions operating like a
cyclotron/sieve to isolate heavier minerals with heavy atomic weights such as
Thorium 232 and Titanium.
Strategic importance of Ramasetu: thorium
Ramasetu and Indian ocean currents contribute to the accumulation of placer
deposits of thorium minerals in Tamilnadu, Kerala beaches.
Tsunami protection measures are required in the belt between Nagore (Tamilnadu)
and Kayamkulam (Kerala) since the last tsunami impacted the mouth of kayamkulam
canal. As Prof. Tad Murthy (an expert on tsunami who was engaged by Govt. of India
to set up a tsunami warning system) apprehends, if the present Sethusamudram
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19. channel project alignment is implemented, the next tsunami will destroy this part of
Kerala since the channel pointing to the epicenter of the tsunami will absorb the
tsunami energy and funnel into the channel which will move in a narrow arc to
destroy the coastline of Tamilnadu and Kerala. The accumulation of thorium reserves
of India is party attributed to the reworking of beachsands by seawaves (almost like
a cyclotron or sieving operation to remove small stones from fresh husked paddy by
women in India) given the nature of the ocean currents and the Ramasetu (Adam’s
bridge) acting as a barrier to the ocean currents inducing countercurrents. Views of
Prof. Rajamanickam, geomorphologist and mineralogist: “The coast between
Nagapattinam to Nagore, Nagore to Poompuhar, Colachal and Madras were the
places where the strong impact from the Tsunami was noticed. These were also the
places where a high order of ilmenites was found soon after the Tsunami. For
example in the Nagore coast, the pre-Tsunami heavy mineral content of 14 per cent
jumped to 70 per cent of ilmenites after the Tsunami.”
http://soma-fish.net/stories.php?story=05/08/14/4004215
Monazite, a radioactive material, contains 3 to 7% thorium by weight. Ilmenite less
radioactive, contains .05% thorium.
http://cat.inist.fr/?aModele=afficheN&cpsidt=3186552
Chavara mineral division, India Rare Earths Limited. Corporate office:
Plot No.1207,Veer Savakar Marg, Near Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Prabhadevi,Mumbai -
400 028 +91 22 24382042/ 24211630/ 24211851, 24220230 FAX +91 22
24220236 Major Activity : Mining and separation of Heavy Minerals like, Ilmenite,
Rutile, Zircon, Sillimanite, Garnet and Monazite from beach sand. Also engaged in
chemical processing of Monazite to yield Thorium compounds, Rare Earth Chlorides
and Tri-Sodium Phosphate.
Dr. S. Suresh Kumar, Head Tel. No: (0476) 268 0701 – 05 Located 10 Km north of
Kollam, 85 Km from Thiruvananthapuram capital of Kerala and 135 Km by road from
Kochi is perhaps blessed with the best mineral sand deposit of the country.The plant
operates on a mining area containing as high as 40% heavy minerals and extending
over a length of 23 Km in the belt of Neendakara and Kayamkulam. The deposit is
quite rich with respect to ilmenite, rutile and zircon and the mineral-ilmenite happens
to be of weathered variety analyzing 60% TiO2. The present annual production
capacity of Chavara unit engaged in dry as well as wet (dredging/ up-gradation)
mining and mineral separation stands at 1,54,000t of ilmenite, 9,500t of rutile,
14,000t of zircon and 7,000t of sillimanite. In addition the plant has facilities for
annual production of ground zircon called zirflor (-45 micron) and microzir (1-3
micron) of the order of 6,000t and 500t respectively.
http://irel.gov.in/companydetails/Unit.htm
MANAVALAKURICHI (MK) MINERAL DIVISION:Shri K.P.Sreenivasan, Head & General
ManagerTel. No: (04651) 237 255- 57 E-mail: iremk@vsnl.com ,
ngc_iremk@sancharnet.in
Plant is situated 25 Kms north of Kanyakumari (Cape Comorin), the southern most
tip of the Indian sub-continent. All weather major seaport Tuticorin and the nearest
airport at Thiruvananthapuram are equidistant, about 65 kms from the plant site.
Nagercoil at a distance of about 18 kms from the plant, is the closest major Railway
station. MK plant annually produces about 90,000t ilmenite of 55%. TiO2 grade,
3500t rutile and 10,000t zircon in addition to 3000t monazite and 10,000t garnet
based primarily on beach washing supplied by fishermen of surrounding five villages.
19
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20. IREL has also mining lease of mineral rich areas wherein raw sand can be made
available in large quantities through dredging operation. In addition to mining and
minerals separation, the unit has a chemical plant to add value to zircon in the form
of zircon frit and other zirconium based chemicals in limited quantities.
RARE EARTHS DIVISION (RED) Aluva:
Shri L.N.Maharana, Chief General Manager
Tel. No: (0484) 254 5062 - 65
E-mail: irered@vsnl.com
Unlike the three units of IREL as described earlier, RED is an exclusively value adding
chemical plant wherein the mineral monazite produced by MK, is chemically treated
to separate thorium as hydroxide upgrade and rare earths in its composite chloride
form. It is located on the banks of river Periyar at a distance of 12 Km by road from
Kochi. This plant was made operational way back in 1952 to take on processing of
1400t of monazite every year. However over the years, the capacity of the plant was
gradually augmented to treat about 3600t of monazite. Elaborate solvent extraction
and ion exchange facilities were built up to produce individual R.E. oxides, like oxides
of Ce, Nd, Pr and La in adequate purities. Today RED has built up large stock pile of
impure thorium hydroxide upgrade associated with rare earths and unreacted
materials. Henceforth, RED proposes to treat this hydroxide upgrade rather than
fresh monazite to convert thorium into pure oxalate and rare earth as two major
fractions namely Ce oxide and Ce oxide free rare earth chloride.
http://irel.gov.in/companydetails/Unit.htm#MK
The total known world reservesof Thi nRA R category are estimated at about 1.16
million tonnes. About 31% of this (0.36 mt) is known to be available in the beach
and inland placers of India…Prior to the second world war thorium was used widely in
the manufacture of gas mantles, welding rods, refractories andin magnesium based
alloys .Its use as fuel in nuclear energy, in spite of its limited demand as of now and
low forecast, is gaining importance because of its transmutation to 233 u. Several
countries like India, Russia, France and U.K. have shown considerable interest in the
development of fast breeder reactors (FBR) anditisexpected thatbytheturnof this
century someofthe countries would have started commissioning large capacity units…
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21. Beach sands: Although monazite occurs associated with ilmenite and beach sands,
skirting the entire Peninsular India, its economic concentration is confined to only
some areas where suitable physiographic conditions exist.The west coast placers are
essentially beachorbarrier deposits with development of dunes where aeolin action is
prominent in dry months…
Origin of West Coast deposits: …The deposits are formed in four successive
stages:(i) lateritisation of gneissic complexes, (ii) successive mountain uplift and
simultaneous seaward shift of strand line., (iii) reworking
of the beach sands by sea waves, which rise often to a height of 3m.in 12s.period
and (iv) littoral drift caused by the breaking of thewaves faraway from the shore and
consequent northerly movement of lighter minerals along the reflected waves…
In Manavalakurchi, Tamil Nadu, the depositis formed by the quot;southerly tilt of the tip
of the peninsula [9] aided by seasonal variation of sea currents, both in direction and
magnitude [Udas, G.R.,Jayaram, K.M.V., Ramachandran, M and Sankaran,R.,Beach
sand placer deposits of the world vs. Indian deposits. Plant maintenance and import
substitution.1978.35.] …
The reasonably assured resources of thorium in India, form about 31% of the
world's estimated deposits.The reserves could have been several times more if
systematic surveys are carried out…
http://www.iaea.org/inis/aws/fnss/fulltext/0412_1.pdf
Mining of raw beach sand containing the six heavy minerals and separation of
the later in adequate purities happen to be the common activity of all the three
Mineral Division namely Chavara, MK (Manavalakurichi) and OSCOM (Orissa Sand
Complex, Chatrapur, 150 kms. from Bhubaneswar). As per as mining practice is
concerned, they do differ from one division to other. For example at MK, all the raw
sand required to operate the plant at its full capacity is collected by the fisherman of
surrounding villages from near by beaches and supplied to the unit at a cost. At
Chavara also beach washing is available but not in adequate quantity to meet the full
requirement of the plant.
The heavy mineral rich sand feed either in the form of beach washings or
dredge concentrate is subjected to final concentration in a facility provided with a
host of spirals to enrich the feed with 97-98% heavy minerals.
Such upgraded material is next dried in a fluid bed drier to take on the
separation of individual minerals/ores by taking advantage of the difference in their
electrical, magnetic properties as well as specific gravity.
http://irel.gov.in/activity/Mineral.htm
Strategic Value addition
Recovery from thorium value Chemical processing of monazite to separate the
contained thorium value (~8% ThO2) in the form of thorium hydroxide concentrate
happen to be the most fundamental value addition activity of the company carried
out for last 50 years or so. In the recent time thorium is separated as its pure
oxalate form. A part of it is taken to OSCOM for its further processing by solvent
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22. extraction to produce about 150-200 TPA of its thorium nitrate for its mantle
application. A small part of the purified thorium nitrate is covered to nuclear grade
thorium oxide powder to meet the requirement of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
(BARC) and Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) for developing thorium based fuel for our
nuclear reactors. Recovery of Uranium value.
Recovery of Uranium value.
In recent time IREL has got engaged through its Rare Earths Division, in
activity involving recovery of uranium value present in Indian monazite in the form
of Nuclear grade ammonium diuranate (ADU) to supplement the indigenous supply
scenario for uranium as required in the Indian Nuclear Power programme. In addition
to monazite, RED has developed facilities for recovering uranium value from other
secondary resource as well.
http://irel.gov.in/activity/Strategic.htm
Indian ocean currents both east to west and counter currents result in a churning
operation and consequent deposition of heavy minerals such as thorium or titanium.
This is a colour version of Figure 11.3 of Regional Oceanography: an Introduction by
M. Tomczak and S. J. Godfrey (Pergamon Press, New York 1994, 422 p.).
http://www.lei.furg.br/ocfis/mattom/regoc/text/11circ.html
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23. Major ocean currents of the world. On this illustration red arrows indicate warm
currents, while cold currents are displayed in blue. (Source: PhysicalGeography.net)
http://www.eoearth.org/article/Ocean_circulation
Indian Ocean Tsunami Model,
December 26, 2004
http://sos.noaa.gov/gallery/
Movie - Indian Ocean view (8 mb)
Beaches of Kerala with thorium
sands.
http://www.mcdonald.cam.ac.uk/genetics/images/kerala_lowres.jpg
The issue of thorium as the nuclear fuel which will unleash the nuclear potential of
Bharatam has been underscored in the BARC website. One of the principal earth
science reasons for the accumulation of thorium resources on Kerala beaches is the
oscillating, sieving action of the ocean currents around Ramasetu. Incursive channel
in an arbitrarily drawn medial line between Bharatam and Srilanka as a defacto
boundary of international waters, discarding the age-old rights as 'historic waters'
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24. under the UN Law of the Sea, is a serious dereliction of responsibility on the part of
the Sethusamudram Channel Project designers. PM and UPA Chairperson have to
explain to the nation for the undue haste and carelessness in choosing an alignment
impacting on Ramsethu while five other alternative channels closer to the Bharatam
coastline were available. Was the new, arbitrarily drawn medial line as the channel
alignment influenced by US Navy Operational Directives of 23 June 2005? Is it mere
coincidence that the inauguration of SSCP takes place within a week thereafter, on 2
July 2005 ignoring the imperative subjecting the impact of a future tsunami on the
integrity of the coastline if the present chosen alignment is implemented? Together
with the destruction of Kerala, will it impact on the harnessing of the thorium
resource as the foundation fuel for the nuclear programme of Bharatam? As the trial
for treason unravels, in case Bharatam succumbs to US geopolitical pressures, a lot
of questions will have to be raised and answered. Was the PM satisfied by the
answers (provided on 30 June 2005) to the 16 questions raised by PMO on 8 March
2005? Something is fishy in the state of Bharatam.
Importance of Thorium for Bharat, f rom BARC website: Thorium deposits - ~
3,60,000 tonnes
•The currently known Indian thorium reserves amount to 358,000 GWe-yr of
electrical energy and can easily meet the energy requirements during the next
century and beyond.
•India 's vast thorium deposits permit design and operation of U-233 fuelled breeder
reactors.
•These U-233/Th-232 based breeder reactors are under development and would
serve as the mainstay of the final thorium utilization stage of the Indian nuclear
programme.
http://www.barc.ernet.in/webpages/about/anu1.htm
The US study can be downloaded from
www.carnegieendowment.org/publications: Tellis notes that India reserves f 78,000
metric tons of uranium.
•eight reactors allocating a quarter of their cores for the production of weapons-
grade material, uranium needed would be: 19,965 to 29,124 tons. T two research
reactors will need 938 to 1,088 tons.
• These would yield India 12,135 to 13,370 kilograms of weapons-grade plutonium.
•Thorium blanket as fuel will be the nuclear fuel of the future for Bharatam, which
has the largest reserves of thorium in the world. A team of scientists led by Dr. VJ
Loveson of the CISR New Delhi, studying placer deposits in the area, says an
estimated 40 million tonnes of Titanium alone has been deposited in the entire
stretch of 500 km. coastline.
Bye-bye to historic waters
US Navy operational directive, 23 June 2005: Historic waters, intl. Waters; 30 June
2005, Chairman TCPT replies to PMO; 2 July 2005, inauguration. The haste is fishy.
Aug 76 Act No. 80 Enables government to declare waters as historic. June 79 Law
No. 41
Waters of Palk Bay between coast and boundary with Sri Lanka claimed as internal
waters; waters of Gulf of Mannar between coast and maritime boundayr claimed as
historic waters. This claim is not recognized by the United States. US conducted
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25. operational assertions in 1993 and 1994, to Gulf of Mannar claim in 1999 (jiski laathi
uski bhains; tadi eduttasvan tandalkaaran). UN Conf. on the Law of the Sea (1958),
Convention of the Territorial Sea and and contiguous zone recognizes HISTORIC
waters Agreement between Sri Lanka and India on the Maritime Boundary between
the two countries in the Gulf of Mannar and the Bay of Bengal and Related Matters
23 March 1976 on Historic Waters.
Implications of intrusive identification of 'international waters boundary' drawn as the
Setu channel passage just 3 kms. west of the medial line recognized in ‘historic
waters’ by an agreement of June 1974 between the late PM of India Smt. Indira
Gandhi and President of India Smt. Sirimavo Bandaranaike has been stated
succinctly by Arulanandam:
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2201/images/20050114005902402.jpg
U. Arulanandam, President, Singaravelar Fishermen's Forum : the project is being
implemented to enforce the international boundary line in the waters.
Once the canal is a reality, it will become an unofficial boundary line on the sea
between India and Sri Lanka. Fisherpeople are afraid: the catch is that it is in the Sri
Lankan waters that fish thrive. The canal would seal their entry into those waters for
fishing.
http://www.hinduonnet.com/fline/fl2201/stories/20050114005902400.htm
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26. Annex 9
Former President Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam: thorium for energy independence
Chennai: July 27, 2007 India's former president A.P.J Abdul Kalam returned to a
profession he likes the most a day after he demitted office on Thursday (July 26).
Kalam interacted with the students and faculty members of southern Anna
University in Chennai, capital city of Tamil Nadu state.
Credited with substantial contribution to India's missile technology, Kalam on
Thursday said the country should go for thorium-based nuclear reactors to feed the
energy hungry economy.
quot;India has to go nuclear generation in a big way using thorium-based
research reactors. Thorium, of course, is a non-fissile material for research available
in abundance in our country. Intensive research is essential for converting thorium
for maximizing its utilization for electricity generation through thorium-based
reactors,quot; Kalam said.
India's nuclear power capacity of 14 reactors is presently 3900 MW.
It is expected to go to 7400 MW by 2010 with the completion of nine
reactors, which are now in progress.
http://tvscripts.edt.reuters.com/2007-07-26/34a2b1ff.html
http://www.andhranews.net/India/2007/July/27-Thorium-based-nuke-9527.asp
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27. Annex 10
1st thorium unit in India soon
Chennai, Aug 2: India is on the verge of setting up the world’s first Advanced
Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) which uses thorium as fuel. “We have the design
and the technology to install a 300 MW thorium based reactor. It is going through
the process of regulatory clearance. We will start work on it in the eleventh plan
period. And we hope to complete the work within seven years,” Dr Baldev Raj ,
director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam said on
Thursday. In an exclusive interview with this newspaper, Dr Baldev Raj, an
internationally acclaimed metallurgist, said that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
at Trombay near Mumbai has been doing research into Thorium based reactors for
the last 50 years. He explained that India was the only country with adequate
reserves of thorium to make the use of the reactors based on it viable financially.
“As of today, no other country in the world is doing any research on thorium based
reactors as they do not have adequate thorium reserves,” Dr Raj added. This would
be a major technological achievement for the country as thorium based reactors
would see the completion of India’s nuclear fuel cycle, according to him.
The first stage of India’s nuclear programme saw pressurized heavy water reactors
which created plutonium. “The Fast Breeder Reactors coming up at Kalpakkam and
other places will use this plutonium as fuel. This in turn will help us build up an
inventory of Uranium- 233 which could be used along with Thorium-232 to run the
thorium reactors,” Dr Raj explained. He said that within three decades the country’s
thorium reactors would start generating power for the national grid. “I am sure by
2037 we will have thorium reactors in place,” he said. With its vast thorium
resources along the Kerala and Tamil Nadu coast, the country would not need to
worry about its fuel needs in the future, according to him.
Former President Dr A P J Abdul Kalam, himself a scientist of international repute,
had recently spoken about the neccessity to develop thorium based reactors to
make the country energy independent. With the commissioning of the thorium
based reactor, the country is expected to make a quantum leap towards economy
and safety in power generation.
Since thorium produces 10 to 10,000 times less long-lived radioactive waste than
uranium or plutonium reactors, chances of any radiation hazards are lesser in
Thorium reactors, experts point out. According to Dr Raj work on the 500 MW Fast
Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam was progressing as per schedule. “ We are sure that
the FBR will be commissioned by September 2010. It will start supplying power to
the national grid by March 2011. We have almost finished the civil construction work.
The reactor vault has been completed without any problems.
The main vessel of the reactor, safety vessel, core structure, control rod drives,
fuel-handling mechanism are all in various stages of completion. From the end of
September, we will start loading all components into the building,” he added. He said
that his team of scientists and engineers were working on a goal to produce power at
the rate of Rs 2 per unit. “As of today the power from FBR costs Rs 3. 20 per unit.
Our dream is to bring it down by a rupee,” he disclosed
http://www.deccan.com/chennaichronicle/Home/HomeDetails.asp#1st thorium unit
in India soon
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28. Annex 11
India's importance in global nuclear renaissance up: Chidambaram
Mumbai, Sept. 3 (PTI): The importance of India in global nuclear renaissance is
increasing as the country will be needed by the international community in the long
run, Principal Scientific Advisor to Government of India Dr R Chidambaram said here
today.
Although India wants the world in the short-term in nuclear energy the world is
going to need India in the long term, he said while inaugurating a day-long seminar
on `Recycling for Electronic and automotive Industry at the Homi Bhabha Centre for
Science Education.
quot;This is what I say in my lectures abroadquot;, he said talking about the closed fuel
cycle which is adopted by India which helps in a comprehensive nuclear waste
management.
In many countries, nuclear technology has stagnated and when nuclear technology
stagnates, knowledge management becomes a problem, Chidambaram said.
Whereas India and China are the two main countries where nuclear industry growth
is seen due to surging energy demand, he added.
The knowledge management in nuclear energy is booming and young people still
take a lot of interest in joining the field in India while there is slow R and D growth
in other parts of the world, including where there is stagnation, he said.
So for us, nuclear knowledge management is not a problem, Chidambaram said.
While talking about nuclear waste management, he said India uses closed fuel cycle
and this is also required because the same amount of uranium, when you recycle it
through fast breeder reactors (FBRs), will give you 50 times more power and if you
close the fuel cycle with thorium, maybe it will give you 600 times more power.
quot;So if you want to optimally utilise nuclear fuel resources of the world uranium and
thorium, you will have to close the nuclear fuel cycle. So, the importance of the
three-stage programme goes beyond just building the first generation of reactorsquot;,
Chidambaram said.
Americans have access to cheaper uranium but now they are also looking at
reprocessing but the plutonium stored over a period as waste disposal Yucca
mountain is actually a plutonium mine and since the half-life of plutonium is over
24,000 years, it could be used later as other radioactive products in the spent fuel
would have died down.
On the automotive and electronic waste management, he said he was interested in
evolving guidelines as an immediate step to handle these hazardous waste in an
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29. organized and safe manner which could later on be recommended for country
legislation.
Since India has developed a throwing away culture recently and with the
exponential growth of electronic and automotive production and consumption, if
steps and precautions are not taken to manage them, India will end up facing a
serious crisis, he added.
http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/001200709032044.htm
See also: http://www.rediff.com/news/2007/sep/03india2.htm
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30. Annex 12
RSS for use of thorium deposits
Dipankar Chakraborty (Statesman, Kolkata, Sept. 4, 2007)
NEW DELHI, Sept. 3: In a categorical rejection of the Indo-US nuclear deal and
taking note of “apprehensions” in the BJP on the matter, the RSS has reminded the
party of the need to strictly adhere to its 2006 national executive resolution in
Nagpur which termed the deal as against national interest.
The assertion of the RSS stand on the nuclear agreement and its apparent rejection
of the opinion of Mr LK Advani in an interview on 26 August, has appeared in the 9
September issue of Panchajanya, the RSS mouthpiece. Mr Advani said in the
interview that there was no problem with the 123 agreement if an amendment to the
Indian Atomic Energy Act was brought about. The Sangh magazine, which published
last year’s Nagpur resolution in its latest issue, said it had been done to ensure that
“there is no misconception (brahm) or apprehension (shanka)” in anyone’s mind on
the RSS stand on the nuclear deal.
The RSS Nagpur Pratinidhi Sabha resolution last year while expressing concern over
the serious ramifications of the Indo-US nuclear deal said it would scuttle India’s
nuclear programme and put an end to all future nuclear tests by the country. It said
the deal would bring India’s nuclear sector under total American control. As long as
India is not officially recognised as a nuclear state opening up nuclear installations
for international inspection would be a step fraught with dangerous consequences for
the strategic and foreign policy of the country.
The RSS resolution also expressed its opposition to the separation of the country’s
civil and military nuclear programme and said it would be against national interest as
more than three fourth of nuclear units would directly come under international
inspection. The RSS advised the government to focus on huge deposits of thorium
available within the country for the country’s nuclear fuel needs. The resolution paid
rich tribute to the expertise of Indian nuclear scientists and congratulated them for
raising their objections to the deal.
Alongside the resolution, Panchajanya also carries an interview with senior BJP
leader and an expert on nuclear issues Mr Murli Manohar Joshi. Reiterating the RSS
stand on the nuclear agreement, Mr Joshi said the deal was not only against the
country’s energy and nuclear sovereignty but would have a far reaching impact on
the foreign policy. He said despite spending crores of rupees and becoming
dependent on the USA for technical support and fuel for nuclear reactors, the country
would not be able to make use of nuclear energy in at least next 10 years. He said
even after making such a huge investment, the nuclear plants would not be able to
meet more than 20 per cent of the country’s energy requirements. He said the
country’s thorium cycle research work had reached a crucial stage and the deal
would put a spanner in it. Pointing to the financial and other consequences of the
deal, Mr Joshi said setting up 50 nuclear reactors would cost the country about Rs
25,000 crore. http://tinyurl.com/28uymf
30
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31. Annex 13
A strategy for growth of electrical energy in India
loc. cit. R. B. Grover and Subash Chandra, “A strategy for growth of electrical energy
in India”, Document No 10, Department of Atomic Energy, Mumbai, India, August
2004 reproduced below: (Source: http://www.dae.gov.in/iaea/ak-paris0305.doc )
A strategy for growth of electrical energy in India
introduction
Abstract:
Energy, particularly electricity, is a key input for accelerating economic growth.
The present per capita electricity generation in India is about 600 kWh per year.
Since 1990s, India’s gross domestic product (GDP) has been growing quite
fast and it is forecast that it will continue to do so in the coming several decades.
GDP growth has to be accompanied by growth in consumption of primary energy as
well as electricity. India’s population continues to rise and could reach 1.5 billion by
the middle of the century. Our estimate indicates that even after recognizing that
energy intensity
of GDP would continue to decline as in the past, the total electricity generation by
the middle of the century would be an order of magnitude higher than the generation
in the fiscal year 2002-03. This calls for developing a strategy for growth of
electricity gener-ation based on a careful examination of all issues related to
sustainability, particularly abundance of available energy resources, diversity of
sources of energy supply and technologies, security of supplies, self sufficiency,
security of energy infrastructure, effect on local, regional and global environment,
health externalities and demand side management.
Introduction:
India, the largest democracy with an estimated population of about 1.04 billion, is
on a road to rapid growth in economy. During the period 1981-2000, it has
witnessed an impressive GDP growth rate of around 6%/yr . Policy initiatives of the
Government of India during the past decade have resulted in a faster growth of GDP
and forecasts by several agencies point towards continued growth of Indian
economy. Dominic Wilson and Roopa Purushothaman of Goldman Sachs in their
paper write, “India has the potential to show the fastest growth over the next 30 to
50 years. Growth could be higher than over the next 30 years and close to 5% as
late as 2050 if development proceeds successfully.” To ensure that the development
proceeds successfully, Government of India has been very proactive and several
steps have been taken in the recent past. These include policy initiatives as well as
planning and launching of projects aimed at improving energy, transport and
communication infrastructure in the country. The Electricity Act – 2003, notified in
June 2003, is one such important initiative. All these are the steps towards achieving
an average annual growth of 8% in GDP during the ongoing 10th five year plan (April
2002 to March 2007).
As elsewhere in the world, the energy and electricity growth in India is closely
linked to growth in economy. One may notice this by comparing per capita electricity
consumption and GDP in PPP US $ (purchasing power parity US $) of various
countries in the neighbourhood as well as in other regions of the world. Key World
Energy Statistics published by the International Energy Agency gives detailed
information about electricity consumption in various countries and GDP in 1995 PPP
US $. India’s electricity consumption based on data from utilities is given as 408 kWh
per year per capita for the year 2001, while GDP per capita in PPP US $ is given as
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32. 2138. Corresponding figures for Indonesia are 423 and 2684, for Thailand 1563 and
5833, for Malaysia 2824 and 7645, and for Singapore 7677 and 20426. For OECD
countries these numbers are 7879 and 21785. Here one may note a correlation
between per capita GDP and per capita electricity consumption.
At the time of independence in the year 1947, total installed electricity generation
capacity was 1,363 MWe. It rose to 30,214 MWe in the year 1980-81, to 66,086
MWe in the year 1990-91 and to 138,730 MWe on 31st March 2003 , the
corresponding growth rates being 9.54%/yr, 8.14%/yr and 6.26%/yr. The average
growth rate over the entire period, thus, has been an impressive 8.6%/yr. In spite of
this impressive growth, per capita electricity as well as primary energy consumption
are still very low. In addition, the share of non-commercial energy resources
continues to be much higher than what it is in developed countries . Domestic
production of commercial energy has registered an average growth of about 5.9%/yr
during the period 1981-2000. Various constraints, particularly poor hydrocarbon
resource base, have forced an increased reliance on energy imports, which have
grown at the rate of about 7.1%/yr . The electricity sector also has experienced
severe shortages during the above period despite an impressive growth. During the
year 2000-01, there was an average electricity shortage of 7.8% and a peak power
demand shortage of 13% . It has now increased to 10% and 15% respectively .
The growth rate of electricity has been substantially higher than other forms of
energy, the reason being convenience of use and cleanliness at the user end.
Electricity generation in India during the fiscal year 2002-03 was about 532 billion
kWh from electric utilities and about 104 billion kWh from captive power plants . On
per capita basis it turns out to be about 610 kWh per year. As already mentioned,
India’s GDP has been growing quite fast and it is forecast that it will continue to be
so in the coming decades. GDP growth has to be accompanied by growth of primary
energy consumption as well as electricity consumption. A number of organs of the
Government of India (GOI) are engaged in energy production and we felt it desirable
to look at all the fuel resources, the plans of all the organs of GOI and examine the
energy scenario as it might emerge in the decades to come. Long-term forecast is
always full of uncertainties; still it is necessary to build scenarios for the future so as
to identify available alternatives. In case of energy technologies, electrical energy in
particular, lead times for developing new technologies are very long and, therefore,
scenario building is desirable to identify problem areas and initiate R&D on relevant
topics. The present study has been carried out with this objective. In this study, after
making brief remarks on the population projection, we review projections about
India’s energy demand growth rates based on other studies and present our
projection about electricity growth rate and a strategy to meet the projected
demand.
1.
2. Statistical Outline of India, page 11, 2001- 2002, Tata Services Limited, Mumbai.
Dominic Wilson and Roopa Purushothaman, “Dreaming with BRICs: The Path to
3. 2050”,Global Economics Paper No: 99, Goldmann Sachs, 1st Oct. 2003
4. (http://www.gs.com/insight/research/reports/99.pdf).
Key World Energy Statistics, 2003, International Energy Agency.
5. RKD Shah, “Strategies for Growth of Thermal Power”, Energy for Growth and
Sustainability, Indian National Academy of Engineering, 1998.
i) Power from Utilities: Thermal, Hydro, Nuclear and Wind: 107,972.8 MWe
(http://cea.nic.in/exec_summ/chapters.htm#GENERATION%20INSTALLED%20
6. CAPACITY(MW)), accessed on 23.4.03
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33. ii) Captive Power: 29,000 MWe PowerLine, November 2001 gives estimates of
captive power installed capacity in India and these have been extrapolated based
on data given in PowerLine, December 2002.
7. Coal, petroleum, natural gas, nuclear and hydro and other renewable forms of
energy constitute commercial energy. Traditional or non-commercial energy
8. resources include biomass such as fuel wood, crop-residue and animal-waste.
9. Data about non-commercial energy usage is not so well documented as that
10.about the commercial energy. In the present study we are mainly concerned with
the commercial form of energy and unless otherwise stated the term energy
would mean the commercial form of energy.
11.Estimated from data given in ‘Energy’, published by the Centre for Monitoring
12.Indian Economy Pvt. Ltd., Mumbai, page 4, April 2002,.
TERI Energy Data Directory & Yearbook, 2000/2001, TERI, New Delhi, India.
http://www.teriin.org/features/art195.htm accessed on 23.04.03
Throughout the report, we have preferred to talk about generation and not
consumption as it is difficult to separate theft from technical losses. It is expected
that by the middle of the century theft will be near zero and with technological
inputs technical losses will also come to below 10%.
Personal communication, Central Electricity Authority, May 2003.
Using the data of captive power plants given in “Energy”, published by Centre for
Monitoring Indian Economy, April 2002, a capacity factor of 41% has been
estimated. At the same capacity factor and an estimated captive power base of
29,000 MWe the electric power generated is 104 billion kWh
Population projection
According to the recent census , India’s population has increased from 0.843 billion
in the year 1991 to 1.027 billion in the year 2001. It represents an average annual
growth rate of 1.99%/yr for the ten years. Although the population is increasing, the
growth rate has been decreasing for the last many decades. According to a study
published by the United Nations , depending on the population growth scenario,
India’s population will cross 1.88 billion (high variant), 1.57 billion (medium variant)
or 1.2 billion (Low variant) in the year 2050. For this to happen, the Total Fertility
Rate (TFR) will have to go down from the present 2.9 children per woman to 2.6 by
the year 2020 for the high variant, to 2.1 by the year 2020 for the medium variant
or to 1.6 by the period 2010-15 for the low variant. In the case of the low variant,
the population will be passing through a peak of nearly 1.3 billion around the year
2040. The national population policy (NPP), 2000, recently adopted by the
Government of India states that ‘the long-term objective is to achieve a stable
population by 2045’. The policy document assumes that the medium term objective
of bringing down the total fertility rate (TFR) to the replacement level of 2.1 children
per woman by the year 2010 will be achieved.
In tune with the long term objective of the Government of India, the present study
assumes that India’s population will stabilize by the year 2050 at a level of 1.50
billion. A decreasing growth rate of population (1.5%/yr till 2011, 1.1%/yr till 2021,
0.7%/yr till 2031, 0.4%/yr till 2041, 0.2%/yr till 2051 and then zero) has also been
assumed (Table 1).
Primary energy & its components
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34. During the fiscal year 2002-03 the estimated total available energy was 18.96 EJ
(Domestic 15 EJ, Imported 3.96 EJ). Out of the total, about 71% (13.46 EJ) was the
commercial component and 29% (5.49 EJ) non-commercial . During the year 2001,
the commercial primary energy consum-ption in the world was about 382 EJ. India’s
consumption was merely 3.4% (U.S.A. 24.5%) of world’s commercial energy
consumption, while its population stood at nearly 16.6% (U.S.A. 4.6%) of the
world’s population. Per capita commercial energy consumption in India stood at
nearly 1/5th of the world average and 1/26th of that of the U.S.A . Table 2 gives
contribution of various fuels to primary commercial energy and to electrical
generation during the year 2002-03.
3.1 Coal and Lignite
India has large reserves of coal and is the third largest coal producing country of
the world. As per the estimates of the Geological Survey of India, total gross in situ
coal reserves in the country are 245.53 BT (Proven: 93.79, Indicated: 109.50 and
Inferred: 42.24). Following the procedure assigning reserves with 90% confidence
level to the proven category, 70% to the indicated category and 40% to the inferred
category and then applying the criterion of reserve to mineable resource ratio of
4.7:1, the working group on coal & lignite for the 10th five year plan tentatively
projected the extractable coal to be only 37.86 BT.
India’s requirements of coking coal are almost entirely fulfilled by imports. Even
the non-coking coal is being increasingly imported in order to blend it with Indian
coal having high ash content and use in power plants at certain coastal locations due
to commercial reasons. During 2001-02 domestic production of coal was about 323
MT, while the net import was at 22.8 MT. In view of the large dependence on coal
and its stagnating production, it may be necessary to increase its import. Production
of lignite was about 24.8 MT during the same period. The currently known lignite
reserves in the country, much less than coal, are estimated to be 34.6 BT (Proven
3.69, Indicated 11.14 and Inferred 19.76). It is relatively a small quantity and
cannot make a significant contribution towards long-term energy security.
3.2 Oil and Natural Gas
During the year 2001-02, domestic crude oil production was 32.03 MT as
compared to net import of 75.63 MT. In the same year, about 29.7 billion cubic
metres of natural gas (NG) was produced domestically. To meet the increasing
demand, the government has permitted private sector participation in this field. In
November 2002, discovery of a large gas field in Karnataka estimated to contain
about 0.2 trillion cubic metre gas was made by a private entrepreneur. There is a
high potential for discoveries offshore, particularly in deep waters. Exploration has so
far taken place in only about one-quarter of India’s 26 sedimentary basins. It is
estimated that these basins may contain as much as 30 BT of hydrocarbon reserves ,
. India’s recoverable reserves of crude oil and natural gas were till recently
considered to be about 600 MT and about 650 billion cubic metres respectively . The
Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas has set strategic goals for the next two decades
(2001-2020) of ‘Doubling Reserve Accretion’ to 12 BT (O+OEG)’ and ‘Improving
Recovery Factor to the order of 40%’ . Exploration is a dynamic process and one
could expect further growth in reserves in the years to come. Considering that India
is one of the least explored countries for oil and gas and the present thrust by GOI in
this area, it is assumed that cumulative availability of hydrocarbons up to the year
2052 would be nearly 12 BT of (O+OEG).
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35. Coal Bed Methane (CBM), primarily a methane gas occurring in coal seams, is
being harnessed in USA for more than a decade. Resource potential of CBM in our
country has been conservatively estimated at 850 billion cubic metres . Exploration
and exploitation of CBM is complex and exposure to this technology in India is
limited. Efforts are being made to acquire technical know how to harness CBM from
on-going mines as well as from virgin coal bearing areas. In near future this new
source of energy is expected to come on stream from 8 CBM blocks .
3.3 Hydro Energy
The hydro electric potential in India has been estimated to be 600 billion kWh
annually, corresponding to a name-plate capacity of 150 GWe . It is mostly located in
the northern and north-eastern regions of the country. As of March 2003, only about
27 GWe has either been developed or is being developed. A vision paper prepared by
the Ministry of Power envisions harnessing of entire balance hydro power potential of
India by the year 2025-26. It is proposed to add 16 GWe of new capacity in the
Tenth Plan and 19.3 GWe in the Eleventh Plan .
3.4 Non-conventional Renewable Energy
The estimated potential of non-conventional renewable energy resources in our
country is about 100 GWe. Wind, small Hydro and Biomass Power/ Co-generation
have potentials of 45 GWe, 15 GWe and 19.5 GWe respectively ; Solar PV, Solar
Thermal and Waste-to-Energy being the other important components. All these
resources will be increasingly used in future especially in remote areas. The medium
term goal is to ensure that 10% of the installed capacity to be added by the year
2012, i.e. about 10 GWe, comes from renewable sources. Good progress has been
made in the field of wind power and installed capacity additions in the recent years
have been quite impressive. However, the wind mills have, so far, reported very poor
capacity factors, (14% for wind power during the year 2002-03).
3.5 Nuclear Energy
As in case of coal, uranium reserves are also given certain categorisation. These
are Reasonable Assured Resources (RAR), Estimated Additional Resources-I (EAR-I),
Estimated Additional Res-ources-II (EAR-II) and Speculative Resources (SR).
Uranium reserves in India pertaining to categories RAR, EAR-I and EAR-II are
estimated to be about 95,000 tonnes of metal. Speculative reserves are over and
above this quantity and with further exploration, could become available for nuclear
power programme. After accounting for various losses including mining (15%),
milling (20%) and fabrication (5%), the net uranium available for power generation
is about 61,000 tonnes. Thorium reserves are present in a much larger quantity.
Total estimated reserves of monazite in India are about 8 million tonnes (containing
about 0.63 million tonnes of thorium metal) occurring in beach and river sands in
association with other heavy minerals. Out of nearly 100 deposits of the heavy
minerals, at present only 17 deposits containing about ~4 million tonnes of monazite
have been identified as exploitable. Mineable reserves are ~70% of identified
exploitable resources. Therefore, about 2,25,000 tonnes of thorium metal is available
for nuclear power programme.
The present indigenous nuclear power plants are of Pressurized Heavy Water
Reactor (PHWR) type, having heavy water as moderator and coolant, and working on
the once-through-cycle of natural uranium fuel. Based on such reactors nearly 330
GWe-yr of electricity can be produced from domestic uranium resource. This is
equivalent to about 10 GWe installed capacity of PHWRs running at a life-time
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36. capacity factor of 80% for 40 years. This uranium on multiple recycling through the
route of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) has the potential to provide about 42,200 GWe-
yr assuming utilisation of 60% of heavy metal, percentage utilisation being an
indicative number. Actual value will be have the potential of about 150,000 GWe-yr,
which can satisfy our energy needs for a long time.
A three-stage nuclear power programme has been chalked out in the Department
of Atomic Energy to systematically exploit all these resources. It is planned to install
a nuclear power capacity of about 20 GWe by the year 2020. The second stage of the
nuclear power programme envisages building a chain of fast breeder reactors
multiplying fissile material inventory along with power production. Approval of the
Government for the construction of the first 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor (PFBR) was obtained in September 2003 and it is scheduled for completion
in the year 2011. It is envisaged that four more such units will be constructed by the
year 2020 as a part of the programme to set up about 20 GWe by the year 2020.
Subsequently FBRs will be the mainstay of the nuclear power programme in India.
The third stage consists of exploiting country’s vast resources of thorium through the
route of fast or thermal critical reactors or the accelerator driven sub-critical reactors
(ADS) . A 300 MWe Advan-ced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR), designed to draw
about two-third power from thorium fuel, is under development and will provide
experience in all aspects of technologies related to thorium fuel cycle. A beginning is
being made towards developing an accelerator needed for ADS.
3.6 New Fuel Resources and Technologies
With enhanced exploration and mining, in tune with the trend so far, it is likely
that new deposits of coal and hydrocarbons will be discovered, thereby increasing
our resource base in future. New technologies such as in situ coal gasification will
make more efficient use of the present resources and will enable the country to tap
resources presently considered uneconomical.
A recent article in Nature gives account of hydrocarbons and how the energy-
returned-on-energy-invested (EROI) has tended to decline over time for all energy
resources. For example, the EROI of oil in the US has decreased from a value of at
least determined as one proceeds with the progra-mme and gets some experience.
Issues involved are fuel burn-up, extent of multiple recycling possible, cycle losses
during reprocessing and re-fabrication, and out-of-pile period consisting of
transportation, storage, reprocessing, re-fabrication etc. FBR generation potential
indicated above is equivalent to an installed capacity of about 530 GWe operating for
100 years at a life-time capacity factor of 80%. The thorium reserves, on multiple
recycling through appropriate reactor systems, 100 to 1 for oil discoveries in 1930s
to about 17 to 1 today for oil and gas extraction. The paper also says that the
alternate liquid fuels such as ethanol from corn have a very low EROI. An EROI of
much greater than 1 to 1 is needed to run a society. For a country like India having a
high density of population, non-conventional renewable energy resources would
continue to be important, but low EROI and competing pressures on the use of land
would not permit them to contribute a significant share to the total energy mix.
US Department of Energy has funded eight projects under the Clean Coal
Initiative and has also ann-ounced plan to develop a pollution free coal fired power
plant (Code named ‘FutureGen’) of the future . Similar proactive efforts are needed
in India in the areas of coal mining as well as coal based power plant technologies.
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37. Many countries have interest in exploiting the gas hydrates. Gas hydrates or
methane hydrates are ice-like solids in which water molecules form cages around
molecules of methane, the chief component of natural gas. Reserves of hydrates
may offer more energy than coal . However, this resource needs to be precisely
evaluated. In India also these resources are being identified. Estimates of this rather
newly identified energy resource in India vary by orders of magnitude. According to a
press report , various agencies in India have mapped out 6150 trillion cubic meters
of gas hydrates along the southern coastline of the Indian peninsula. However, the
technology of gas production from hydrates is yet to be commercially proven. The
Department of Science and Technology (DST) is pursuing a proposal to develop
technologies for exploiting gas hydrates in collaboration with Russian Federation.
Fusion is another attractive long-term energy option and R&D on fusion is being
done worldwide including in India at the Institute for Plasma Research, Gandhinagar,
Gujarat. Fusion based reactor systems may become a reality by middle of the
century.
13.
14.Provisional Population Totals, page 34, Census of India 2001, Registrar General &
15.Census Commissioner, India.
16.World Population: Major Trends- A Study by United Nations, (www. iiasa.ac.at /
Research / LUC /Papers) accessed on 19.08.2002
Provisional Population Totals, page 31, Census of India 2001, Registrar General &
Census Commissioner, India.
17.Estimated from the Annual Reports 2002-03 of various ministries of the
government of India, EJ = Exa Joule =1018 Joules. Other commonly used units
18.are MTOE and MTCE. 1 EJ = 23.9 MTOE = 34.5 MTCE. World Energy Assessment:
19.Energy and the Challenge of Sustainability, 2000, page 139 gives definition of all
20.the energy units. MTOE is based on the assumption that calorific value of oil
21.i10,000 kcal/kg. Similarly MTCE is based on the assumption that calorific value of
coal is 6,930 kcal/kg.
22.Report of the Steering Committee on Energy Sector for 12th Five Year Plan,
23.Government of India, Planning Commission (Sr. No. 1/2001, March-2002).
BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2002.
24.Report of Working Group on Coal & Lignite for The Tenth Five Year Plan (2002-
25.2007), July 2001.
26.An Energy Overview of India, DOE, USA,
27.(www.fe.doe.gov/international/indiover.html) accessed on11.06.2002.
Vision Hydrocarbon-2025, 2000, Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas,
28.Government of India - Strategy Paper for Development of the Hydrocarbon
29.Sector, February 2000.
30.BP Statistical Review of World Energy, June 2002, (www.bp.com/centres/energy/)
accessed on 15.07.2002.
31.Annual Report, 2002-2003, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Government of
India page 13. ‘O+OEG’ stands for ‘Oil’ and ‘Oil Equivalent Gas’
32.Disha - Green India 2047, page 283,TERI 2001.
Annual Report 2002- 2003, page 3, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas,
Government of India
33.Annual Report 2001- 2002, page 6, Ministry of Power, Government of India.
Report of the Steering Committee on Energy Sector for 10th Five Year Plan,
34.Government of India, Planning Commission (Sr. No. 1/2001, March-2002).
35.Annual Report, page 4, 2001-02, Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy Resources,
36.Government of India.
37
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38. 37.A.B.Awati, Internal note, July 24, 2003, Department of Atomic Energy,
Government of India.
38.It consists of two components: 80,000 tonnes from Reasonably Assured Resource
(RAR) and Estimated Additional Resources-I (EAR-I) and 15,000 tonnes from
39.Estimated Additional Resource-II (EAR-II).
Out of 3.93 MT of monazite ore about 70% is available for further processing
40.which contains 9% of ThO2 of which 87.87 % is thorium metal.
One viewpoint is that ongoing research to increase the fuel burn-up could enable
41.achieving burn-up of the order of 200,000 MWd/T a reality in the next one
decade. To achieve 60% heavy metal utilization would, thus, require only 3
cycles, which should be achievable.
Anil Kakodkar, “Perspective of a Developing Country with Expanding Nuclear
Power Programme”, International Conference on Innovative Technologies for
Nuclear Fuel Cycles and Nuclear Power, June 2003, IAEA, Vienna.
Charles Hall et al, “Hydrocarbons and the evolution of human culture” Nature, vol
426, 20 November 2003.
“Bush takes the Initiative on Clean Coal”, Modern Power Systems, April 2003,
page 3.
“Methane extraction and carbon sequestration” ORNL Review, No. 2, 2002, page
4.
“Massive gas-hydrate reserves discovered” Financial Express, Nov. 15, 1998
(http://www.indian-express.com/fe/daily/19981115/31955104.html) accessed on
15.07.2002.
Proposed Indo-Russian Centre for Gas Hydrate Studies, Integrated Long Term
Programme for Cooperation in Science & Technology between India and Russia,
Department of Science and Technology, October 2002, page 59.
Koji Tokimatsu et.al. ‘Role of nuclear fusion in future energy systems and the
environment under future uncertainties’ Energy Policy 31 (2003) 775-797.
‘An Outline Roadmap for Fusion Energy Science: A Portfolio Approach- Discussion
Draft’ 11-13-1998 (http://www.math.nyu.edu/mfdd/imre/roadmap.pdf)
accessed on 10.10.2003.
Peter Rodgers, “Waiting for the power of the sun”, Physics World, July 2002, page
45.
Electricity Demand Projection
Many national and international agencies have made projections of energy demands
of India. We first present a survey of various studies and then give our projections.
4.1. A Survey of Various Studies
There is a considerable spread in energy demand forecasts made for India by
various investigators. Some important forecasts/scenarios are summarized in Table
3.
Various working groups of the steering committee on energy sector for the 10th
five year plan projected an average primary commercial energy demand growth rate
of 5.74%/yr for the two forthcoming five year plans. In view of (a) the increased
emphasis on energy efficiency and energy conservation, (b) an expected higher
contribution of the service sector to the GDP in future and (c) the impact of
information technology and e-commerce, the steering committee came up with a
lower figure of 4.25%/yr for the demand growth rate .
The Energy and Resources Institute (TERI) , carried out an analysis of the Indian
energy scenario and suggested strategies for sustainable development . In their base
case scenario the primary energy growth rate was taken as 4.4%/yr during the
38
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