THE FUTURE OF NUCLEAR POWER IN INDIA Neil Crawford, Gary Katzoff, Talha Riaz, Victoria Stutz Advisor: Professor David Spanagel Contact: Victoria Stutz [email protected]

Nuclear Power Plants in India Three Stage Nuclear Fuel Cycle Abstract Because of India’s lack of uranium recourses, every Developing countries face obstacles to meeting their effort has been made to draw as much power as growing energy needs without extensively possible out of the uranium they do have. Using a Narora (2) contributing to global warming. A potential solution to combination of their Advanced Heavy Water Reactor this challenge involves the use of nuclear energy. In and Fast Breeder Reactors, the Indian program is this project, we examine India as a case study Rajasthan (4) (2) able to reprocess this fuel. After the uranium is run because it has the fastest growing energy needs in Kakrapar (2) through the AHWR once, it is sent to a fast breeder the world. What hurdles must India overcome in Tarapur (4) reactor and used to produce energy once again. The Mumbai order to successfully invest in an aggressive nuclear plutonium which is extracted from the fast breeders is development program? Despite significant diplomatic then used in the AHWR with ‘thorium’ as the main Kaiga (3) (1) and geopolitical concerns, nuclear power must fuel. At the end of the third reaction, the nuclear contribute to India’s energy solution because of its Madras (2) waste is much less in volume and in a far less high energy yield and low carbon emissions. hazardous form. Kudankulam (2)

Economics of Nuclear Energy Population in India Energy Consumption in India Project Goals/Objectives 2000 1800 1600 •Because of effective designs of power plants, cost of 1400 1200 •Examine India’s current growing energy needs, electricity generated by nuclear energy is competitive. 1000 800 their dependency on fossil fuels, and their •Cost of nuclear fuel is low because of use of domestic thorium. 600

millions of of millionspeople 400 history concerning nuclear power that would •Nuclear power is very economical if plants are built away from 200 0 affect a national investment in nuclear power coal reserves i.e. in north-western, western and southern India. 1940 1960 1980 2000 2020 2040 2060 time / years time / years •Use India’s situation as a template for other developing nations to look at as an example for embracing nuclear energy Safety Features of the Indian Recent Political Issues •To determine whether or not India has the Thorium Advanced Heavy technological and economic capabilities to Water Reactor Design •Pakistan is demanding a U.S. nuclear deal follow through with their plans for major nuclear because it believes that it is unfair that India has energy development The Indian thorium fueled Advanced Heavy Water one and it does not. The United States and other Reactor has been designed with safety as a top members of the Nuclear Suppliers Group will not •Analyze the political ramifications of India priority. It has several innovative and passive be dealing with Pakistan in the near future since becoming a nuclear power safety features that would effectively shut down its top nuclear scientist has recently given nuclear the reactor in the event of any foreseeable secrets to Iran, North Korea, and Libya. While it accident. Along with the conventional active is true that both Pakistan and India tested nuclear shutdown capabilities such as scramming or weapons in 1998, India has not undergone flooding the reactor with coolant, the reactor also nuclear proliferation. has several passive shutdown systems that will •Within the Nuclear Suppliers Group, China was automatically activate in the event of a hot the greatest opponent to the Indian deal. China shutdown, prolonged shutdown, or loss of coolant did not want a U.S. friendly nuclear power in Asia. accident. During normal operation, coolant is It took a persuasive letter from President Bush to circulated by natural convection instead of pumps, the President of China to have China’s Nuclear so a loss of power will not cause a loss of coolant. Suppliers Group diplomats approve the India If a loss of coolant accident did happen, the rising waiver. temperature would cause the automatic release of a reactor poison into the system, that would kill the reaction. If this system were to fail, and the temperature continued to rise, the large gravity Conclusions/Recommendations driven water pool at the top of the reactor building would automatically start flooding the bottom the •India should choose nuclear power as a solution to its reactor cavity, effectively submersing the whole growing energy needs for four reasons: Key Points reactor core. If the reaction rate continues to o Nuclear power has a high energy yield increase, there is enough coolant to keep there is o Nuclear power has low carbon emission •India’s economy and energy needs are growing at an enough coolant to keep the reaction in check for o India has extensive thorium reserves that can impressive rate, much largerBackground than other nations in the 72 hours, more than enough time for the operator be used as nuclear fuel world, including other developing nations. to step in and manually shut down the reactor. o Economically it is favorable to build nuclear plants in western parts of the country •Currently,Type India your is text getting here a substantial majority of its energy from burning fossil fuels, making a •If India would like to successfully grow its nuclear contribution to global warming that will only increase program, India must first acknowledge that the first step as its economy grows. is to cooperate internationally and sign the Nuclear Non- •India has expressed an interest in alternative energy Proliferation Treaty. sources, principally nuclear power. o This would allow a discourse of information to •India has a large percentage of the world’s thorium be relayed between India and countries that have deposits within its borders that can be used as well-established nuclear power programs. nuclear fuel. •We can look to India as a example for other developing •India’s reluctance to fully cooperate internationally, countries because India’s potential international by refusing to sign the Nuclear Non-Proliferation cooperation will result in both a successful energy Treaty, is partially inhibiting its progress in the nuclear program and a solution to reducing carbon emissions. realm. •India’s example will illustrate how cooperation between nations will be necessary to address global warming. Indian Nuclear History

1962: War with China. 1974: India performs 15kt “Peaceful Nuclear Explosion”. US & Canada 1948: Atomic Energy Commission 1963: Two research reactors and four nuclear 1965: War with Pakistan over suspend their nuclear cooperation with India. 1998: India detonates both fission 2006: President Bush declares established plants in operation Kashmir Nuclear Supplier's Group formed and fusion devices India a Nuclear Power

1947: India becomes Independent 1956: Negotiates with US and 1964: China detonates nuclear bomb 1968: India refuses to sign 1999: Indian population exceeds 1 billion. 2008: NSG approves trade with India Canada for nuclear reactor Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty Kargil War with Pakistan. Pakistan threatens to use nuclear weapons US-India Nuclear deal signed