nuclear-news

Energy experts urge Tamil Nadu to implement renewable energy

Nuke experts urge CM to tap renewable energy sources Times of India | Dec 31, 2011, MADURAI: People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) has written to chief minister J Jayalalithaa to implement schemes for generation of electricity using renewable energy sources on a war footing.

“We would also like to request implementation of the distributed renewable energy system and institution of proper policies as was done for grid-connected renewable energy generation. Tamil Nadu has got a greater potential for solar energy(25-30MW per sqkm) and 300 cloud free days,” PMANE representatives said in the letter to Jayalalithaa, sent after a meeting of energy experts in Kanyakumari on Friday.

PMANE, that has been waging a battle with the Centre to scrap the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project in Tirunelveli district, has also alleged that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has compromised on safety aspects of the Kudankulam plant.

Listing out the alleged dangers in the Kudankulam plant, the PMANE representatives said the Kudankulam site was not only prone to small-volume volcanic eruptions, but also to mega-tsunamis with heights exceeding 100 feet due to the presence of two large slumps in the seabed of Gulf of Mannar less than 100 km from the plant. Another crucial failure of NPCIL was the reliability on a single source of water- the desalination plant. In the wake of an electricity failure and disruption in supply of water, reactors will have to be closed down immediately.

“The issue of spent fuels disposal is an unsolved issue both in terms of technology and economics and spent fuel will remain highly radioactive for thousands of years,” the letter said. Taking into account the decommissioning costs, nuclear plants are unviable and uneconomical, the letter added. The de-commissioning cost of the reactors is at least few times higher than the commissioning cost….. http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Nuke-experts-urge-CM-to-tap-renewable-energy-sources/articleshow/11311086.cms

December 31, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | general