SHANTI or Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India is now law, parliament having passed it as the winter session wound to an end. How does it change India’s nuclear landscape?
KN Vyas, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, said in an interview on The Gist that major issues drove these decisions.
“India has given a commitment that by 2070, we will be having net zero emissions. Then if you see our average electricity consumption per capita consumption, it is very low, it is even significantly lower than the world average. So if we want to achieve net zero and good human development index or good industrialization, we will need electricity.”
SHANTI will give space to private operators of nuclear facilities, and in the event of equipment malfunction, he has the right of recourse, to go to the manufacturer and demand compensation. An insurance pool will be built up that will take care of some of the compensation issues that arise.
Does SHANTI open the doors to foreign nuclear power majors? Yes it does, he said, and “there is no, restriction as to which type of reactors to be constructed. They can decide who gives them the best deal, which system they find it to be most suitable from their perspective. And, it should it should happen.”
But he warned that importing foreign reactors wholesale may prove costly and would increase the price at which power is generated, making the whole venture uneconomical. It may work better if parts of the imported reactor are made in India.
Mr Vyas was of the opinion that while Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) do have their advantages, especially if it comes to powering small townships or the requirement of an industrial cluster, these may not be practical when it comes to reaching the government target of 100 MW of power.
Tune in for more in this conversation with Kamlesh Vyas, former Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission.
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