It was recently reported that massive uranium deposits include been discovered in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh, expected at up to 150,000 tonnes, of which 49,000 tonnes have been currently confirmed. If this estimation holds up, we might have one of the largest uranium reserves in the world.
Despite the scale of this find, we are nowhere near solve our energy needs. The earthquake in Japan earlier this year and the resultant injure to the Fukushima nuclear power plant revealed the inadequate safety measures adopt by the nuclear industry in general. Despite have tapped nuclear power for the past 48 years, insufficient savings have been made to improve the technology, its safety, waste removal and crisis management.
The current plan is to set up 30 nuclear reactors more than the next three decades to supply a quarter of our electricity demand. By 2050, it is probable that 25% of our energy needs will be met by nuclear power.What is sorely wanted for the kind of scale-up India envisions is a safe template for nuclear power plants that is accepted by a strict regulatory process before handing over to the private sector to construct, operate and maintain. The process for getting approval under strict safety and operational standards will contain to be streamlined to get the programme up and running. This will avoid the holdup in the regulatory and approval process that has dogged the US. We include now signed nuclear deals with nine countries, most recently with South Korea, to help develop social nuclear energy in India. A powerful watchdog needs to be in place to monitor security standards as nuclear technology and infrastructure are transfer from these partners to us.
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