Nuclear energy is considered as the cleanest fuel. Despite
this advantage, nuclear fuel consumption in the world is significantly low.
Following the Fukushima disaster, the concern over the safety of nuclear energy
further surfaced in most of the high-level discussions among international
leaders.
A recent report by International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)
says significant growth — between 35 percent and 100 percent by 2030– in the
use of nuclear energy is anticipated worldwide, according
to Reuters. This is, however, 7-8 percent lower than the IAEA’s projections
made in 2010.
The nuclear disaster in Japan has had an adverse impact on
the nuclear industry, according to reports. Immediately after the disaster,
three European countries, Germany, Switzerland and Belgium decided to move away
from the nuclear power, and instead strengthened their focus on renewable
energy.
While the developed world kept their fingers crossed at
nuclear crisis, it was the developing world –especially Pakistan and India —
that kept on with their nuclear plans despite several protests from
environmental activists. It is
significant to note there were only three nuclear reactor constructions that
started last year; of these, two belonged to Pakistan and one India.
Further, according to IAEA, in 2011, 13 reactors were
officially declared permanently shut down, including four units at Fukushima and
eight in Germany. In 2010 there was only one shutdown while in 2009 there were
three. Almost all of 54 reactors in Japan are in idle state, waiting for
approval to resume operation.
“The 7-8 percent drop in projected growth for 2030
reflects an accelerated phase-out of nuclear power in Germany, some
immediate shutdowns and a government review of the planned expansion in Japan,
as well as temporary delays in expansion in several other countries,” the
IAEA report said.
Countries like India and China are facing pressure from the
West for reducing carbon emission. Nuclear fuel is a better option for them
because investment in renewable resources is still a long way to go in
countries like India and Pakistan. China is active in renewable energy
projects, but it has much bigger targets to achieve than India in terms of
energy efficiency. The Southeast Asian countries are rich in nuclear resources;
however, safety still remains a concern over nuclear reactors.
In India the much awaited Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in
Tamil Nadu, India, which is to be operational soon, is facing protests from
residents who fear a nuclear crisis like that happened in Fukushima. However, experts
maintain that the construction of Kudankulam cannot be compared with that of
Fukushima, as the former is built on solid terrain as opposed to the beachfront
construction in Fukushima.
The Kudankulam agitation has had a negative impact on the
nuclear energy output in India. The agitation has spooked the addition of 2,000
MW new atomic power capacity this year. The Eleventh Five Year Plan
(2007-12) had envisaged
a capacity addition of 78,700 MW in power sector, of which 4.3 percent was
nuclear. Further after the mid-term appraisal, the target was revised to
62,374 MW, with nuclear contributing to 5.3 percent (3,380 MW) of the total
capacity. According to officials at Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd
(NPCIL), the 2,000 MW capacity addition target is only from the Kudankulam
project as other projects of NPCIL are under construction.
Meanwhile the Government of India has asserted that there
will be no compromise on nuclear safety or livelihood in India’s pursuit of
atomic power. The assurance, however, is not sufficient to remove the
roadblocks in the construction of nuclear reactors and the fears that grip
the1.2 billion population in India. The government needs to devise strict
policy guidelines to ensure that the safety of the reactors is not at stake at
any cost.
The failure of nuclear reactors in Japan post Tsunami and
the panic it created across the world reminds us that we need to have an
entirely different disaster management strategy to deal with nuclear disaster.
Japan, the leader in terms of technological advancements, took several months
to cope up with the disaster. Are countries like India and Pakistan prepared to
face these challenges technologically and socially, if it happens so ever?
Greentech Lead India
editor@greentechlead.com