In Buisness Line of 6.7.08, excerpts from a lecture by Dr. Anil Kakodkar, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman are reported at page 3.
Dr. Kakodkar writes and I quote ".. the country would have an energy deficit of 412 GWe in the next 42 years at the per capita consumption rate of 5000kwh a year. This cannot be met even after using all available domestic energy resources. Of all the non-coal based energy options, nuclear energy was the best bet but the country's ongoing nuclear programme badly needed to import uranium or reactors, which is possible only if the country signs the international cooperation agreement."
"History will not forgive us" if this is not done now, AEC Chief said.
Referring to 'Energy Gap' AEC Chief says "If India is unable to import nuclear reactors or nuclear fuel under international cooperation it must import coal to the tune of 1.6 billion tonnes in 2050 alone, unless solar capacity grows at even large levels". Subjecting a large country to the vegaries of such large coal imports on a regular basis would have shocking economic effects, AEC Chief said.
He says energy gap in 2050 can be bridged by importing 40-GWe capacity LWRs by 2012-20. The spent fule from these LWRs would be used for FBRs that will wipe out energy deficit by 2050.
A delay of a decade in importing these would create an energy deficit of 178GWe by 2050 and the coal import need would go up to .7 billion tonnes - twice the annual coal needed today, he says.
