Civilian Nuclear Energy

WHY IN NEWS?

U.S. energy firm Westinghouse is expected to sign a new agreement with state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India for the supply of six nuclear reactors during U.S. President Donald Trump's visit.

NUCLEAR REACTION:

• In nuclear physics, a nuclear reaction is a process in which two nuclei or nuclear particles collide, to produce different products than the initial particles.
• The bombarding particle may be an alpha particle, a gamma-ray photon, a neutron, a proton, or a heavy ion. Fission and fusion are nuclear processes by which atoms are altered to create energy.

FISSION REACTION:

• Nuclear fission (Fig a) takes place when a large, unstable isotope is bombarded by high-speed particles, usually neutrons. These neutrons are accelerated and then slammed into the unstable isotope, causing it to break into smaller particles. 
• This splits the target nucleus and breaks it down into two smaller isotopes (the fission products), three high-speed neutrons, and a large amount of energy.
• This resulting energy is then used to heat water in nuclear reactors and ultimately produces electricity. The high-speed neutrons that are ejected become projectiles that initiate other fission reactions, or chain reactions.

                     a)               b)

FUSION REACTION:

• Nuclear fusion (Fig b) refers to the union of atomic nuclei to form heavier nuclei resulting in the release of enormous amounts of energy. Fusion takes place when two low-mass isotopes, typically isotopes of hydrogen, unite under conditions of extreme pressure and temperature.
• Along with this, an enormous amount of energy is released, which is several times the amount produced from fission.

NUCLEAR POWER GENERATION:

• Nuclear reactors are the heart of a nuclear power plant. They contain and control nuclear chain reactions that produce heat through fission.
• Nuclear reactors come in many different shapes and sizes – some use water to cool their cores, whilst others use gas or liquid metal. A number of different materials can be used to fuel a reactor, but most commonly uranium is used.

INDIA’S NUCLEAR FUEL RESERVES:

• Uranium:
  • It is the primary fuel for all nuclear reactors in India. However, India has no significant reserves of Uranium. Most of its needs are met through imports.
  • India produces about 2% of world’s uranium. Jaduguda in Jharkhand and Tummalapalle in Andhra Pradesh are the two major uranium mines in the country.

• Thorium:
  • Thorium itself is not fissile, but is fertile as it can be converted to U-233 which can then undergo fission to produce energy. They are the key to third stage nuclear plants.  
  • Unlike uranium, India has abundant reserves of Thorium. India is estimated to have close to 25% of the global thorium reserves. The monazite sand found along the Kerala and Andhra coasts are rich in Thorium.

INDIA’S 3 STAGE NUCLEAR PROGRAMME:

The emphasis of India's three-stage nuclear power program is to utilize the large thorium deposits that are present throughout the country.

1. Stage 1: Use natural unenriched uranium to fuel Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). The byproduct Plutonium (Pu-239) of these reactors are key for Stage 2. This stage has been operational since 1973.
2. Stage 2: Develop fast breeder reactors (FBRs) to produce excess Pu-239 which will then convert Thorium (Th-232) to fissile U-233. A 500 MWe prototype fast breeder nuclear reactor is presently being constructed at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Kalpakkam.
3. Stage 3: Build thorium-based reactors that can be refueled using India's thorium reserves, which are converted to U-233 inside the reactor.

ADVANTAGES OF NUCLEAR ENERGY:

• Clean energy source:
  • Nuclear reactor operations emit nearly zero greenhouse gasses. Although the process of mining, enrichment, construction and waste management of uranium involves emission of greenhouse gasses, the total emissions are way lower compared to emissions from fossil fuels.
  • Uranium-235 is not fully burnt up in the reactor and can be re-used after regeneration. With future transition to the third stage reactors using closed fuel cycle, the technology will generate zero waste.
• High energy density:
  • A nuclear power station is compact and the amount of energy produced per unit input is very high. One kilogram of 4%-enriched fuel grade uranium releases energy equivalent to the combustion of nearly 100 tons of high-grade coal or 60 tons of oil.
• Reliability and Longevity:
  • Nuclear reactors offer impressive based-load electricity and operate and produce power over 90% of the time. This is because nuclear reactors are capable of running round the clock for months or years without any stoppage. Also, they are designed to operate for more than 40 years.
• Footloose nature:
  • Unlike thermal or solar plants, a nuclear plant neither needs continuous supply of fuel nor are location specific. A few kilos of uranium is sufficient to run a plant for years. Hence, a nuclear plant can be established irrespective of the availability of raw materials.
• Competitive cost:
  • The cost of power derived from fossil fuels depends on the market. However, the cost of nuclear power is very much stable and competitive. Although the costs of setting up a nuclear power plant are extremely high, the electricity produced afterward is very cheap. This can play a crucial role in ensuring energy accessibility for a developing country like India.

CONCERNS OVER NUCLEAR ENERGY:

• Safety concerns:
  • Despite technological developments, Nuclear accidents continue to occur. The catastrophic effects of Fukushima and Chernobyl disasters still linger in the minds of people.
  • The spend fuels from stage one reactors can still be enriched to create weapons grade uranium. Hence, with the development of each nuclear plant, the fear of nuclear warfare continues to grow.
• Health concerns:
  • Nuclear energy produces ionizing radiation. Its impact on humans is almost immediate. The thyroid is especially sensitive to fallout exposure, and Cs-137 can have external or internal triggers that can cause problems.
• Waste management:
  • The radioactive waste coming from nuclear power plants is a great caution and peril to the environment. According to scientists, radioactive wastes take about 10, 000 years to neutralize.
• Heavy initial capital costs:
  • Nuclear Energy entails immense investment to set up a nuclear power station. Constructing a nuclear power plant requires enormous capital outlay.
• Environmental cost:
  • It is not a clean process that we use to mine and refine uranium. The most popular methods of uranium mining are in-situ leaching and open pit mining, both of which creates several environmental concerns.
  • Radioactivity threatens flora, aquatic and avian life around the plant area. It also aggravates eutrophication in lakes and other waterbodies surrounding the nuclear plants.   
• Not a non-renewable source:
  • Although nuclear energy is not always classified in this manner, it is closer to a fossil fuel than it is a renewable power resource. New reserves of uranium must be found at some point to continue growing the nuclear power industry.

INDIAN INITIATIVES:

• Nuclear hierarchy:
  • India has created a well-defined chain of command headed by Prime Minister in matters related to civilian nuclear energy.
• Nuclear plants:
  • Nuclear power is the fifth-largest source of electricity in India after coal, gas, hydroelectricity and wind power, contributing to approximately 2% of total power produced in the country.
  • As of March 2018, India has 22 nuclear reactors in operation in 7 nuclear power plants, with a total installed capacity of 6,780 MW. Besides these, several other projects are proposed to come up in the coming years.
• Civil Nuclear deals:
  • As India lacks sufficient uranium reserves, it has signed agreements with several nations for the supply of uranium for civilian use.  A central tenet of these agreements is the focus on the “peaceful purposes” of nuclear power; this entails the “use of information, nuclear material, equipment or components in such fields as research, power generation, medicine, agriculture and industry.”
  • India has civil nuclear agreements with 14 countries that vary in letter and spirit. There are 14 countries with which India has forged such agreements: Argentina, Australia, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Japan, Kazakhstan, Mongolia, Namibia, Russia, South Korea, United Kingdom, US and Vietnam.

• Well-developed reprocessing facilities:
  • India has more than 40 years of experience in spent fuel reprocessing technology and has successfully operated a closed-fuel cycle to recover uranium and plutonium for reuse in nuclear reactors. Currently India has three operating reprocessing plants based on the Plutonium Uranium Redox Extraction (PUREX) technology.

• International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project:
  • It is the most complex science project in human history, started in 2010.
  • It is the first industrial-scale fusion reactor. It will use hydrogen fusion, controlled by superconducting magnets, to produce massive heat energy.
  • This nuclear fusion facility is an international cooperation among the European Union, Russia, the US, Japan, China, India and South Korea and seeks to produce clean, cheap, and abundant energy for millions of years.
  • It will start generating a molten mass of electrically-charged gas “plasma” inside a core by 2025.
• Baba Atomic Research Centre (BARC):
  • Dr. Homi Jehangir Bhabha established the Atomic Energy Establishment, Trombay (AEET) in January 1954 for multidisciplinary research program essential for the ambitious nuclear program of India. After the sad demise of Bhabha in 1966, AEET was renamed Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC).
  • BARC is the mother of R&D institutions on nuclear studies in the country, which carry out pioneering research on nuclear and accelerator technologies and industrial establishments, spearheading nuclear power production, materials technology, electronics & instrumentation.

ISSUES:

• Non-proliferation treaty and NSG membership:
  • India has not yet been granted membership to the NSG because of it being a non-signatory to the NPT. This has restricted India’s access to enriched Uranium and state-of-the-art technology from global markets.

• Global aversion to nuclear energy:
  • Since the Fukushima nuclear disaster, several countries such as Japan have been reluctant to further develop on nuclear technology. This has impeded growth in the area.
  • Also, the Trump Administration in USA has been vocal about the promotion of fossil fuels rather than cleaner energy sources line nuclear.
• NPA Crisis:
  • The twin balance sheet issues in financial sector has been most severe in India’s power sector. The poor health has limited the scope of availing long-term credit essential for nuclear plants.
• Delays in setting up plants:
  • Due to several factors such as delays in land acquisitions & clearances, global economic slowdown and protests, several projects have been stalled. This delay in turn shoots up the project cost, making them unviable.
  • E.g.: The USA backed Kovvada Project has been on papers for over a decade, yet actual ground progress has been dismal.     
• Issues in transmission and distribution:
  • Most of the state run DISCOMS in the country are suffering from poor financial health. These are also the issues of demand supply mismatch, high transmission losses, and rampant power theft.
  • Lack of sufficient transmission lines has been a major hurdle in realizing the full potential of India’s power plants.

WAY FORWARD:  

• The government has been unsuccessfully attempting to secure membership in the NSG. But India does not need NSG membership to import nuclear technology through the exemption given in 2008. Hence, India’s diplomatic and political capital should be better spent in securing broader bilateral civil nuclear deals with advanced countries like Japan.
• By creating a mature domestic market for nuclear power with a sizeable installed capacity of both indigenous and foreign reactors, India will become an important player in the global civil nuclear commerce. It can then seek membership of exclusive clubs, with both economic and technological weight backing geopolitical moves, instead of the other way around.
• At least 200 million of India’s 1.3 billion people have no electricity. The lack of power limits efforts to advance living standards and to increase the country’s manufacturing sector. The demand for power is expected to rise exponentially in the coming years. In this regard, nuclear energy offers a sustainable and cleaner source of energy.
• Also, for India to meet its INDC commitments while ensuring rapid economic development, nuclear is the best available alternative. Hence, development of nuclear energy is something India can no longer ignore.

Practice Question

Q. Discuss the prospects and impediments to development of Nuclear power in India?