Nuclear Power in India

• India has a flourishing and largely indigenous nuclear power program and expects to have 20,000 MWe nuclear capacity on line by 2020.
• Because India is outside the Nuclear non-Proliferation Treaty, due to its weapons program, it is largely excluded from trade in nuclear plant or materials, which has hampered its development of civil nuclear energy.
• Because of its relative isolation in international trade and lack of indigenous uranium, India has uniquely been developing a nuclear fuel cycle exploiting its reserves of thorium.
Electricity demand in India has been increasing rapidly, and the 534 billion kilowatt hours produced in 2002 was almost double the 1990 output, though still representing only 505 kWh per capita for the year. This per capita figure is expected to almost triple by 2020, with 6.3% annual growth. Coal provides over half of the electricity at present, but reserves are limited.

Japan's dependence on nuclear power to meet its energy needs stems from some of Japan's obvious drawbacks. Being the resource-destitute country that it is, the nation must rely on imports for about 80 percent of its primary energy requirements . Yet, as two oil crises have so painfully demonstrated in the past, reliance on one particular energy source can greatly undermine stability with regard to energy supplies. Nuclear power, therefore, provides energy source diversity to enhance the nations energy security.

Nuclear energy is also particularly attractive to Japan because it is environmentally friendly. Contrary to coal-fired and oil-fired generators, nuclear plants produce no harmful emissions, such as nitrogen oxides (NOx), sulfur oxides (SOx) and carbon dioxide (CO₂), all believed of contributing to environmental pollution. Another attraction is that the supply and price of uranium is relatively stable.

• Over half of the world's production of uranium from mines is from Canada, Australia and Kazakhstan.
• An increasing proportion is produced by in situ leaching.
• After a decade of falling mine production to 1993, output has generally risen since then and now comprises 61% of demand for power generation.

Canada produces the largest share of uranium from mines (25% of world supply from mines), followed by Australia (19%) and Kazakhstan (13%). Australian and Canadian production was depressed in 2006 due to particular problems.

Nuclear Power in China

• Mainland China has nine nuclear power reactors in commercial operation, a further two units grid connected, four more under construction, and at least four more about to start construction in 2007.
• Additional reactors are planned, including some of the world's most advanced, to give a fivefold increase in nuclear capacity to 40 GWe by 2020 and then a further three to fourfold increase to 120-160 GWe by 2030.
• The country aims to become self-sufficient in reactor design and construction, as well as other aspects of the fuel cycle.
• Electricity demand is growing very rapidly.
• Mainland China is starting to rely heavily on imported uranium to fuel its nuclear power program.
• On Taiwan six nuclear power reactors operate and two advanced reactors are under construction.

India needs to invest close to $2,000 billion in the power sector (including T&D) in the coming few decades to meet  future electricity needs. The installed generation capacity has grown from 1,362 MW in 1947 to 144,564 MW as on 31.05.2008. The overall gross generation was 704.45 billion units in 2007-08. The Plant Load Factor (PLF) from thermal power plants has reached 79.49% in 2007-08. Despite such growth, the peak electricity supply fell short by 16.6% and there was an overall shortage of 9.9% in supply during 2007-08. Per capita consumption of electricity is still about 704 kWh per annum – much lower than the world average of approximately 2,500 kWh and even China’s 1,800 kWh. Various initiatives, such as Ultra Mega Power Projects , to facilitate setting up of new power plants through government and private participation. There are plans to add about 78,700 MW of generation capacity during the 11th Five Year Plan (2007-12) from various sources including coal, gas, hydro, nuclear and renewable.

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