Coral Facility at IGCAR Assembly of SST (Steady State Superconducting Tokamak) INDUS-2 Tunnel Hot Cells Facility New Oilseed Varieties Developed at Trombay 2 SEPTEMBER 2011 XII PLAN PROPOSALS REPORT OF THE WORKING GROUP R&D SECTOR Government of India Department of Atomic Energy 3 1 CONTENTS Preface Chapter - 1 Executive Summary 1 Chapter - 2 Research and Development in Nuclear Science and Technology 7 Chapter - 3 DAE Achievements of the XI Five Year Plan 13 Chapter - 4 DAE-XII Five Year Plan Proposals 35 Chapter - 5 Implementation aspects of DAE XII Plan Proposals 72 Chapter - 6 Financial outlay of XII Plan Proposal 74 Annexures Annexure - 1 Organisational Structure of DAE 78 Annexure - 2 Constitution of Working Group 79 Annexure - 3 Constitution of Internal Working Group 83 Annexure - 4 Major Programmes 87 Annexure - 5 Specialists Group 88 Annexure - 6 Abbreviations 92 4 1 PREFACE The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), a premier important factors driving the planning process have central government Department, has been following been the identification of technology gap areas and a well-focused mandate of developing and development of enabling technologies to address the establishing indigenous technological base for gaps, safety-related research needs (including ageing deriving sustainable benefits from nuclear management) and upgrades, needs-based applications, both for power production and for a development and/or adoption of emerging nuclear wide range of societal applications. Energy security technologies and their applications, contemporary is a key requirement for continued growth of national international developments in nuclear sciences, development and enhancement of the quality of life human resource requirements and stronger outreach of our very large population. Similarly indigenous to create better awareness and public perception of availability of advanced nuclear and radiation nuclear applications. technologies is essential for improving and strengthening health care, agricultural practices, DAE comprises a well-balanced combination of R&D environmental protection, water resources centres, public sector undertakings, industrial management and materials development for varied organisations and educational and academic applications. Over the years, the DAE programmes institutions including a number of aided institutions. have achieved considerable progress resulting in All of these individually as well as collectively several contributions to all the above areas. The contribute to the overall goals and programmes of steady growth in DAE deliverables has been facilitated DAE. The plan projects of DAE, whether in R&D Sector mainly thanks to its R&D endeavours, acquiring or in I&M Sector, should be viewed as a seamless capabilities in diverse aspects of nuclear technologies effort across different plans to fulfill DAE’s mandates, and manufacturing, as well as successfully applying while yet keeping in focus specific thrust areas in them in building indigenous capabilities. each plan period. Periodic multi-level review of the progress of the ongoing five year plan projects as Thanks to the visionary and pragmatic approach of well as assessment of further requirements has Dr. Bhabha to the long term needs of energy security enabled the Department to identify priorities to be of the country, the Department had adopted a three- addressed and approach to be adopted. During XII stage nuclear power programme starting with the Plan, the main thrust will be on meeting development commissioning of a number of PHWRs in the first needs in fast reactor and allied fuel cycle, enhancing stage. Currently twenty power reactors, with a indigenous capability in key areas of accelerator cumulative installed capacity of 4.78 GW(e), are in technologies, thorium utilisation plans, safety related operation. It is imperative to adopt all available energy analysis and upgrades, and concerted efforts to options to meet the ever increasing power demands improve outreach and public perception. to sustain India’s further growth. In this context, the proposed target installed nuclear power generation The elaborate exercise undertaken by the Department capacity is 20 GW(e) by the year 2020. A large to formalize its XII Plan proposals was initiated with number of the R&D sector projects of DAE are the meeting of Steering Committee on S & T, accordingly tuned to meet this major goal. The other constituted by the Planning Commission to formulate 5 the R&D directions for the XII-plan on April 5, 2011 indefatigable pursuit of its identified goals and and the subsequently held comprehensive brain- targets, the Department has given us the strength storming session on 17 May 2011. Thereafter to take on fresh challenges and expand its horizon extensive and involved deliberations have taken place for the greater benefit of the Society. Further, the through different levels within every Unit of DAE, opening up of the opportunities for international the Specialist Groups and the Internal Working Group collaboration have also brought in the necessity for to finalise the XII Plan proposals. The Projects have directing R&D towards meeting the challenges of been assessed in terms of relevance (technical and maintaining a competitive edge in areas where we timeliness), deliverables, viability, benefits to the acquired indigenous strength through sustained society and financial outlay with due care taken to endeavours, and towards this end, bridge any review also the continuing Plan projects to be vulnerabilities that may be accentuated in the implemented along with the new ones. Theme-wise unsafeguarded domains of our nuclear programme. classification of the R&D topics under seven major All the Projects of DAE should be viewed from this programmes will continue to be followed to perspective. This report, which is an outcome of the adequately reflect the entire commitments of the extensive deliberations and five levels of rigorous Department to the nation. scrutiny, outlines the background and rationale of the new project proposals along with select highlights Following over six decades of sustained and of the achievements of XI plan projects. 6 CHAPTER 1 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Department of Atomic Energy has been pursuing MP-1 to MP-7, followed during the previous two R&D in nuclear science and engineering and also in Plan periods, will be maintained in the XII Plan with advanced mathematics. The Department comprises some adjustments. Specialists Groups (SG) of several multi-disciplinary research and constituted for the review and monitoring of R&D development centres, aided institutions and closely project proposals by the various Units of DAE, have linked industrial units. Research and development by proved to be an excellent peer review mechanism, the R&D units of DAE provide valuable support to and it was decided to continue with the same sustain and expand the indigenous nuclear power approach in the current Plan. For the continuing programme and also to develop non-power projects of XI Plan, status of the progress was applications of nuclear technology for use in industry, reviewed. Reasons for delay and factors favouring food and agriculture, healthcare and advanced continuation / foreclosure were also examined, as a research. The research centres and aided institutions result of which it has been decided to continue with also lay strong emphasis on frontline basic and 138 projects in the XII Plan. Such reviews have taken applied research, supporting special technologies, place at the level of the Council of the Unit, in the and human resource development for sustained concerned SG, at the IWG Meeting and at the DAE. growth and establishing the strong linkages with the Some of the major projects have also been reviewed academic and research community as well as by the AEC. Out of the XI Plan allocation, 85 % is industries in the country. The initiative of the expected to be utilized by March 2012. The shortfall Department to set up Homi Bhabha National Institute in utilization stems from a few reasons such as delays (HBNI) as a deemed to be university is another step in extensive construction activities and/or acquisition towards strengthening the linkage between the of land, difficulties faced in import of equipment and institutions of the DAE and also with the academic obtaining clearances for commencing the project. and research community in the country. HBNI is also Some projects were delayed due to their linkages to serving as a facilitator for enhancing the accessibility completion of other projects, which were not of DAE’s R&D infrastructure and facility to research completed on time. Continuing schemes amounting students from all over the country. Similarly Tata to 6188.97 crore will spill over to the XII Plan. Institute of Fundamental Research has increased the intake of research students after having been declared Highlights of achievements, accomplished during the a deemed to be university. Chapter 2 provides further XI Plan are briefly given in the Chapter on details about R&D activities of the Department. ‘Achievements of XI Five Year Plan’ in the document. Indicator for the performance in basic research At present, activities of the Department are grouped namely the publications in peer reviewed journals under three sectors - R&D sector, Power sector and and citation indices are given towards the end of Industries & Minerals sector. Categorization of the chapter 3. DAE’s R&D activities into seven major programmes 1 applications of nuclear