by

R. Chidambaram Principal Scientific Adviser to Govt. of India & DAE-Homi Bhabha Professor, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai, India

Earth Sciences Foundation Day Lecture 2011, Ministry of Earth Sciences, New Delhi ,27th July, 2011

The Human Development Index (HDI) is directly dependent, in my opinion, on two main parameters : Per Capita Electricity Consumption and Female Literacy (U.N. uses three parameters to calculate the HDI : per capita GDP, Life Expectancy at Birth and Adult Literacy)
For India to become a developed country, the per capita electricity consumption has to increase manifold. And nuclear has to play an important role in this increase as India looks for a low-carbon path for its electricity production growth. India is aiming for an electricity capacity of over a million MW by 2050 .

Variation of HDI with respect to PCEC

1.0

Percentages indicate female literacy

0.9

99.3% 89.1% 86.9% 86.8% 54.3% 85.7%

Percentage Literacy (India) M F

Human Development Index in 2007

0.8 0.7 0.6 0.5 0.4

2001 2011

74 85

54 65

Source: Census 2011

32.7%
0.3 0.2 0.1 0.0 10 100 1000 10000 100000

References: Human Development Report, 2009 World Bank, 2010 World Factbook, CIA

Per Capita Electricity Consumption in 2007 (kWh/capita/year)

If the female literacy is high, the countrys HDI tends to go above the mean curve. If the female literacy is low the countrys HDI tends to go below the mean curve. 3 R. Chidambaram 2010

Expanded use of nuclear technologies offers immense potential to meet important development needs. In fact, to satisfy energy demands and to mitigate the threat of climate change two of the 21st centurys greatest challenges there are major opportunities for expansion of nuclear energy in those countries that choose to have it.
from Report on The Role of the IAEA to 2020 and Beyond, prepared by an independent Commission at the request of the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency 2008. I was a member of this Commission.

Lessons will be learnt from the recent Fukushima accident, but the above conclusion, in my opinion, remains unchanged.

20000 18000 16000

Net Electrical Power MW(e)

South Korea China India

12990

17705 16810

14000 12000 10000 8000 6000 4000 2000

420 606 0 0 832 564 3580 1143 2188 1324 1746 0 0 2508 2188 7220 6587 3984 2993 9115 8438

0 1970

1975

1980

1985

1990

1995

2000

2005

2010

2015

Years
Source IAEA-PRIS

Three Stage Indian Nuclear Programme

First Stage: PHWRs:
(Initiated with Canadian collaboration)

Natural UO2 fuels SEU/MOX fuels

PHWR

Imported water cooled reactors: FBRs:

Second Stage:
(U-Pu) MOX / MC / Metallic Fuels (U-Pu Closed Cycle) FBTR

Third Stage:
Thorium Utilisation
(Th-U233) closed cycle

AHWR

(Th-Pu/233U MOX/ Metallic Fuels Molten salt fuels

Courtesy:H.S.Kamat

The Indian Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR-Pu)

AHWR is a 300 MWe vertical pressure tube type, boiling light water cooled and heavy water moderated reactor using 233U-Th MOX and Pu-Th MOX fuel.

Major design objectives

65% of power from Th

Several passive features

Top Tie Plate

Displacer

3 days grace period No radiological impact

Design validation through extensive experimental programme. Pre-licensing safety appraisal by AERB Site selection in progress.

Passive shutdown system to address insider threat scenarios. Design life of 100 years.

Water Rod Tube Fuel Pin

Easily replaceable coolant channels.

Bottom Tie Plate

AHWR Fuel assembly

AHWR-Pu is an innovative Technology demonstrator for the closed thorium fuel cycle

Fig.1: Nuclear installed capacity with open and closed fuel cycle options
6000 5500 5000

Installed capacity (GWe)

4500 4000 3500 3000 2500 2000 1500 1000 500 0 2000

Nuclear installed capacity derived from nuclear energy growth profile of A1T scenario and achieved by closing the fuel cycle

Growth of installed capacity with uranium used in open fuel cycle to meet target profile of A1T scenario

2010

2020

2030

2040

2050

2060

2070

Year

from Chidambaram, Sinha & Patwardhan, Nuclear Energy Review 2007

Closing the nuclear fuel cycle is essential if nuclear is to be a sustainable mitigating technology in the context of the climate change threat. This is in coherence with Indias three-stage nuclear programme.

 Accelerator driven sub-critical reactor, using the spallation nuclear reaction. Thermonuclear fusion Magnetic Confinement Fusion (Tokamak) and Inertial Confinement (Laser-Induced) Fusion.

For energy as reactors or for energy amplification and fissile material breeding as hybrids.

ITER (International Tokamak Experimental Reactor)

Joint Venture of 7 parties

ITER
Fusion Power: 500 MW Plasma Volume: 840 m3 Plasma Current: 15 MA Typical Density: 1020 m-3 Typical Temperature: 20 keV
ITER complex at Cadarache, FRANCE (an artists view)

Courtesy : Y.C. Saxena

NATIONAL ACTION PLAN ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Eight Missions are outlined in the National Action Plan on Climate Change:
Solar

Enhanced Energy Efficiency Sustainable Habitat Water Sustaining the Himalayan Ecosystem Green India Sustainable Agriculture Strategic Knowledge for Climate Change

Of course, much else has also been suggested beyond these 8 Missions. Nuclear Energy is not in the above list because the Department of Atomic Energy is itself a Mission oriented Agency.

A new (9th) Mission on Clean Coal (Carbon) Technologies is being considered

IGCAR
Advanced Design Analysis Materials Development Manufacturing Technology Testing and Evaluation

800 MWe Advanced Ultra Super Critical Power Plant

BHEL
Development, Design & Manufacture of Power Cycle Equipment, System Engineering, Test Loops and Evaluation

NTPC

Detailed Project Report MOU Project Management & Operation and Maintenance Synergy The National Knowledge Network will help in linking these institutions We shall be happy to have international inputs in this Mission

 Target capacity of Grid-connected Solar Power Projects by the year 2022=20,000 MW [to be split equally between PV and Concentrated Solar Power (CSP)]. Target capacity for phase 1 (by 2013) = 1000 MW (500 MW PV + 500 MW CSP). A National Centre for Photovoltaic Research and Education, to be set-up in the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, will provide the necessary technical back-up to achieve those targets. CSIR has taken up a major programme under this Mission. There are other initiatives, e.g. from DST. A fiscal regime has also been put in place by the Government of India to help achieve the targets set under the Mission. A total grid interactive renewable power generation (including solar power) capacity of around 18842 MW has been set up as on the 31st of January, 2011, which is over 11% of the total power generation installed capacity, from all sources, in India.

Water Security
As important as Energy Security and dependent on the latter

(Courtesy : P.K. Tewari, BARC)

All these require continuous efforts in Research & Innovation

Nuclear Desalination- Hybrid MSF-RO

BARC has established a 6300 m3/day (6.3 MLD) Nuclear Desalination Demonstration Plant using hybrid Multi-Stage Flash-Reverse Osmosis (MSF-RO) technology integrated to existing PHWR at MAPS (Kalpakkam). It is the largest nuclear desalination plant in the world based on hybrid technology.

NDDP Kalpakkam-MSF 4.5 Million Litres per Day (MLD) Stages: 39 Product Quality: Distilled 2-5 ppm

NDDP Kalpakkam-RO 1.8 MLD capacity Product Quality: Drinking water (WHO quality)

Solar Energy can also be used

(Courtesy : P.K. Tewari, BARC)

Research involves generation of new knowledge and Innovation requires adding economic value (or societal benefit or strategic value or a mix of them) to knowledge, even knowledge not generated by yourself. The border between Applied Research ( & also what I call Directed Basic Research) and Innovation, when developing cuttingedge technologies, becomes fuzzy. There are: Breakthrough Innovations/Incremental Innovations Product Innovation/Process Innovation/Design Innovation or a Mix

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has declared the present decade as the Decade of Innovation and the year 2012-13 as the Year of Science.

Research and Innovation are strengthened by collaboration, particularly between scientists who have mutual respect. Also any international collaboration is sustainable only if it is mutually beneficial. We need connectivity both physical and electronic. Todays India seeks international scientific and technological collaboration on an equal partner basis(e.g. LHC, ITER).
R. Chidambaram

National Knowledge Network

On Conclusion of Final Phase

31 PoP 89 Backbone Links 1500 Edge Links

Aims to connect all Knowledge Institutions in India through a high-speed all-optical fibre low-latency network

Regional and International Research Collaboration can be enhanced by connecting such Knowledge Networks

Courtesy: R.S. Mani, NIC

e-Science & e-Research

India is actively collaborating with Europe in several domains and, noticeably in scientific research. For collaborating in scientific research - e-Infrastructures is of paramount importance. It is valuable if researchers are able to access remotely, advanced scientific instruments, laboratories, applications, data/images and collaborate with other researchers. Cooperation with Global Virtual Research Communities (GVRCs) through high impact projects like LHC Grid & EU-IndiaGrid gave India much needed impetus for creating an e-infrastructure within India

Currently Connected MOES Sites on NKN - 12 sites

IMD, New Delhi NCMRWF, Noida NCAO, Goa RMC, Guwahati

RMC, Kolkata
RMC, Nagpur

ICOIS, Hyderabad

NKN
NIOT, Chennai

IITM, Pune Connections to Global Networks via TEIN3

CMLRE, Kochi

INTERNET

Conference on Role of e-infrastructures for Climate Change Research, 16-20 May 2011 ICTP-Trieste, Italy

Climate Research Applications in India

(Shailesh Nayak, P.S.Dhekne & R. Chidambaram)

Speaker: Gufran Beig Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, INDIA

Ministry of Earth Sciences Govt. of India

Innovation Possibilities

(selfDirected/ MegaScience) Basic Research

Directed Basic Research

Precompetitive Applied Research

App. Res. & Proprietary Product or Process Development

In technology areas selected on the basis of technology foresight analysis

In technology areas selected on the basis of technology foresight analysis

adapted from R. Chidambaram, Current Science, 2007

 In the ultimate analysis, science is done by scientists. The most important issue, therefore, not only in India but everywhere, is attracting talented young people to careers in science and technology, particularly in those areas which a country considers important. The S&T Steering Committee for the Eleventh Plan made important recommendations in this regard; a whole chapter in the Report (December 2006) was devoted to it. The INSPIRE programme of DST is an excellent initiative. It is also important to give career assurance, as early as possible, even at the 10+2 completion stage, for retaining talented young people in basic sciences. This was also recommended by the Steering Committee. BARC Training School is an example of career assurance, though at the post-graduate stage. MoES has recently started a similar new initiative. And then there are the Gifted
R. Chidambaram