Is nuclear energy sustainable for the future and what are the present status and future scope of nuclear energy in India and why is nuclear energy important to the world?
Respected Sir
Rk Naresh
Sustainability of Nuclear Energy for the Future
Nuclear energy is often considered a sustainable option for the future due to several factors:
Present Status of Nuclear Energy in India
As of now, India has a relatively modest but growing nuclear energy program. Key points include:
Future Scope of Nuclear Energy in India
The future of nuclear energy in India looks promising due to several factors:
Importance of Nuclear Energy to the World
Nuclear energy is vital globally for several reasons:
In fact, more broadly, however, the proposition of nuclear power as a sustainable energy source is fundamentally robust due to its innate energy density, and its internalization of health and environmental costs. Using nuclear energy has numerous sustainability advantages relative to alternative forms of generation. In the U.S. alone, nuclear electricity prevents more than 471 million metric tons of carbon dioxide from entering our atmosphere every year. Nuclear facilities also require the least amount of land to generate electricity, compared to other energy sources. It is reliable and stable. In 2020, nuclear energy produced approximately 46 TW-hours (TWh) of electrical energy, accounting for 3.2% of India's total electricity, and the government plans to expand its use tenfold, to 25% by 2050. The proposed expansion requires a significant investment in constructing new nuclear plants throughout the country. The total nuclear capacity is likely to be about 22.5 GWe by the year 2031. In April 2023 the government announced plans to increase nuclear capacity from 6780 MWe to 22,480 MWe by 2031, with nuclear accounting for nearly 9% of India's electricity by 2047. Nuclear energy is the fifth-largest source of electricity for India which contributes about 3% of the total electricity generation in the country. India has over 22 nuclear reactors in 7 power plants across the country which produces 6780 MW of nuclear power. Nuclear energy now provides about 10% of the world's electricity from about 440 power reactors. Nuclear provides about one-quarter of the world's low-carbon electricity. Nuclear is the world's second largest source of low-carbon power. Nuclear energy is sometimes referred to as a clean energy technology as it produces nearly zero carbon dioxide or other greenhouse gas emissions. In the future, electricity or heat from nuclear power plants could be used to make hydrogen. Hydrogen can be used in fuel cells to power cars, or can be burned to provide heat in place of gas without producing emissions that would cause climate change. Now, almost every nation plans to isolate radioactive waste from the environment in an underground, highly engineered structure called a geological disposal facility (GDF). Some models see GDFs constructed at 1,000 metres underground but 700 metres is more realistic. The nuclear power generation in India is projected for an eight fold increase providing 10 percent contribution to meet total electricity demand by 2022. This increase will be 70 times accounting 26 percent by 2052. About 90 power reactors with a total gross capacity of about 90 GWe are planned, and over 300 more are proposed*. Most reactors currently planned are in countries in Asia, characterized by fast-growing economies and rapidly-rising electricity demand.Nuclear power is an important low-emission source of electricity, providing about 10% of global electricity generation. For those countries where it is accepted, it can complement renewable in reducing power sector emissions while also contributing to electricity security as a dispatchable power source.
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