Clarification on R&D concerns to be sought

Clarification on R&D concerns to be sought

Never mind bush’s signature. India still has its concerns over the indo-us nuke deal and will seek clarifications during further negotiations.

“Certainly there are concerns and for that we have to seek clarifications from the United States,” said anil kakodkar, chairman Atomic energy commission, on the sidelines of the 94th Indian science congress.” We will have to negotiate. We must ensure that the indo-us nuclear deal does not impinge on our R&D,”he said.” We have to maintain the autonomy of our R&D.There is no question about,” he said in replay to queries from newspersons.” Domestic programme is impendent and will carry on,” he emphasized.” All external things we were talking about is an additionality,”he said.

Earlier, during the course if his 40 minute speech on the role of nuclear power in India’s power-mix’ on day 2 of the science stressed that the chairman repeatedly stressed that the “challenge” before the nation was not to rely on large-scale import of fuel and the “strategy” was to indigenously development technology based on” domestic fuel resources” for which FRS and thorium reactors were the key.

Kakodkar, the first one to voice openly against the indo-us nuke deal, has once again articulated the concerns of top nuclear scientists in the country against threw fast breeder reactor (FBR) programme, the gateway to stage 111 of India’s nuclear programme and very critical to energy self-reliance in future.

He emphasized that even without external help, expect in Koodankulam, the nation with the projects I the pipeline was well in its way to achieve the target of 20,000 MWe. Hoping to supply 25 percent of power needed in the nation through nuclear energy, Kakodhar, making a long term projection, said the nation could well do without “additional help” as the “time tested” three-stage nuclear programme was truly on.

“We have reached international standards in managing and operating nuclear power standards in managing power stations”, he said. Talking about India’s resource base, he said 2.25 lakh tones odd thorium was available with an electrical potential of 1.55 lakh even if Indian uranium, there would be need of movement of 12 trucks of uranium fuel per year of a 1000 Mew nuclear power plant, he said.

India would start construction of its first thorium-bases advanced heavy water reactor in 2007, Kalkaska announcement. Incidentally, the concern of the AHWR will mark the beginning of the ‘gllobally unique’ thorium-based reactors launching India into iris much-awaited stage 111 of indigenous nuclear programme. With vast reserves of thorium, India neither need nor import fuel for its nuclear programme from the nuclear supply group in future.

Clarification on R&D concerns to be sought

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