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“The pace of growth itself is challenging. The
major challenge is the delivery of components
by the industry for the new nuclear power plants.
The government has sanctioned building of four
more pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR),”
Banerjee told IANS in an interview.
Adding to the excitement and challenge is the
proposed import of mega reactors from Russia,
France and the US and the attendant negotiations.
Expressing satisfaction with the year that went
by, Banerjee said: “The major activity that happened
last year is the use of imported uranium in the
units that are under safeguards and the launch
of light water reactor (LWR) for the Arihant nuclear
submarine.”
Another milestone in 2009 was the signing of
a nuclear cooperation agreement with France.
While the search for new uranium sources within
India continued, the good news is that the estimates
of reserves in the Tummallapalli mine in Andhra
Pradesh has gone up three times. Earlier estimates
had put the uranium reserves at 50,000 tonnes.
“We also set up a Nuclear Reprocessing Board
with a good amount of independence,” Banerjee
said. “Decision on setting up five nuclear parks
in Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal
and Maharashtra has been taken,” he said.
“Each one of these parks will house multiple
reactors to have around 10,000 MW power generating
capacity. The parks will also have facilities
like reprocessing units.”
He said the development of metallic fuel to be
used in fast reactors in place of oxide fuel is
also a big challenge which the Bhabha Atomic Research
Centre (BARC) and the Indira Gandhi Centre for
Atomic Research (IGCAR) are working together to
overcome.
Apart from the plans to introduce LWRs in a
major way, Banerjee said uranium enrichment facilities
will be expanded so that the enriched fuel can
be used even in PHWRs for better efficiency.
On the funding challenge Banerjee said: “NPCI
L (Nucl ear Power Corporation of India Ltd) can
set up on its own plants up to 2,000 MW. With
partnerships it can meet the funding needs of
other projects.”
He said the nuclear establishment will be flush
with funds if it starts charging for its irradiation
services properly.
“Nearly 90 percent of urad dal (a lentil) is
irradiated. Similarly other agricultural produce
are also irradiated. The contribution of such
agricultural produce to the country’s GDP (gross
domestic product) is sizeable. But we do not charge
for our services,” Banerjee said.
A talent crunch is expected to hit the Indian
nuclear power establishment as the sector is seeing
some hyper activity with NPCIL planning joint
ventures with several players.
That apart, bright engineers are in favour of
higher paying careers in software.
But glamourising nuclear science as a career
is not the right way to attract bright talent.
It may be counterproductive, feels Banerjee.
“Many people get attracted to science due to
fantasy, which is not right. Actually science
as a career is hard work. It needs people with
patience and perseverance.
“We get the required number of people - around
300 - every year from our training schools while
our attrition number is not worrisome.”
Though the majority of people working in various
nuclear establishments under the Department of
Atomic Energy (DAE) stay with their employer for
a life time, in recent times employees are going
in search of greener pastures.
“We do conduct exit interviews to understand
why people quit. However people do not tell us
the true reasons,” Banerjee said.
“If one needs a good quality of life with a proper
work and family life balance then there is nothing
to beat our establishments. But if people want
money upfront then I don’t have an answer,” he
added.
He said DAE research institutions offer opportunity
to scientists to put their findings into practice.
Referring to the increasing number of universities
starting to offer nuclear engineering courses,
Banerjee said there will be no dearth of talent
in the coming years for DAE units as well as private
players.
Asked about the possibility of setting up small
LWRs - like the one developed by the BARC to power
a nuclear submarine - in rural areas like diesel
gensets, Banerjee said it would not be economical.
On the other hand he sees a good potential for
the export of 220 MW PHWR to countries that have
good uranium resources.
“Such reactors are suitable in places where
grid capacities are not good. In terms of cost
even buying multiple units of our 220 MW PHWRs
will work out cheaper as against a single unit
of high capacity reactor of foreign make,” he
remarked.
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