nuclear-news

While India’s nuclear dream languishes, solar energy up and running quickly

The latest news is that Reliance is building Asia’s largest solar power plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. “The 250 MW plant being built with Areva of France would be ready by late 2014. The entire project would be ready by 2014”

Cheap nuclear energy is an illusion  The Pioneer:  Kumar Chellappan, 25 Oct 12 Nuclear energy is expensive and unsustainable, and takes more than a decade to be fully operational. It is also high on risks. Moreover, the 20 nuclear reactors spread across the country generate hardly 60 per cent of the total installed nuclear power

Hidden subsidies have helped the Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Limited to offer power at less than `4 per unit to the State
Electricity Boards, even as the Department of Atomic Energy continues
breaking promises and failing to realise targets which it set long
ago. In real terms, nuclear power has become more expensive because of
the inefficiency of the Department of Atomic Energy. What has gone
unnoticed is the fall in the price of renewable energy, especially
solar, and that too at unbelievable rates. A study reveals that
nuclear power has become unsustainable, costly and risky.

“By the turn of the century, we will be generating 10,000 MW power
from nuclear energy.” This was the war cry of HN Sethna and Raja
Ramanna, chairmen of the Atomic Energy Commission, during the 80s.
From all available platforms, these top honchos of the DAE, made this
declaration, and it has been parroted by their successors since then.

But, twelve years now after the turn of the century, India’s total
installed capacity of nuclear power is a mere 4780 MW, less than half
of what was promised by the country’s eminent nuclear scientists.
…..
Cost overruns of the nuclear power plants is the factor worrying power
managers in the country. It was declared by the DAE that the power
generated at Kudankulam would be as cheap as the hydro-electric power,
which is `2 per unit. “Till date the Government has spent more than
`17,000 crore on the Kudankulam Power Plant. That makes it costlier
than solar power”, a former nuclear scientist remarked. The amount
spent on the reactors till date does not include operational and
maintenance costs as well as the price of 6,000 acres of land. The
scientist said that the cost of producing one MW nuclear power has
become `8.50 crore ,which is unsustainable because of operational and
maintenance costs. “It costs less than `9 crore to generate one MW of
solar power. And remember, it is a one time investment”, Mr Pillai
said….
The latest news is that Reliance is building Asia’s largest solar power plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. “The 250 MW plant being built with Areva of France would be ready by late 2014. The entire project would be ready by 2014”, Mr Pillai stated.

MG Devasahayam, a former IAS officer who headed many energy utility
services, is of the view that it is time for India to rework its
nuclear energy options. “Eight years for building a power plant is not
sustainable and economically feasible. Our nuclear engineers have
failed to deliver the goods”, Mr Devasahayam remarked.
http://www.dailypioneer.com/columnists/item/52705-cheap-nuclear-energy-is-an-illusion.html

October 25, 2012 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | business and costs, India