Even as green
activists’ opposition to the Koodankulam nuclear power plant is being
intensified, the Atomic Energy Department fraternity are crusading for nuclear
power.
Unlike wind and solar energy, nuclear
power is costeffective and can be produced on a large scale, said M Sai Baba,
associate director, Resource Management Group, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, at a media awareness workshop on nuclear energy organised
by the Centre for Science Communication and Directorate of Public Relations and
Publications at KM School of Engineering, Cusat, on Thursday.
He said that thorium found in abundance
in Kerala can be harnessed for it.
When asked about the need for nuclear
power plants against the backdrop of Fukushima nuclear disaster and when
countries like Germany and the USA were opting for other sources of energy, he
said they have sufficient resources and pointed out that 104 plants are
functioning in the US where carbon emission is high.
K K Rajan, director, Fast Reactor
Technology Group, IGCAR, said the fast breeder reactor at the plant would be
ready by 2014.
It would produce 500 megawatt of power.
Six more fast breeder reactors are
being planned.
Soman Thomas, additional chief engineer
of the Koodankulam plant, said that South India has the lowest seismic
potential and the spot is safe from tsunami while speaking on ‘An Errorfree Design
for Safety’.
Sunil V P, senior commission engineer
of the plant, said that multiple levels of safety measures and active and
passive safety systems are in place, including management of decay heat after shutdown.
After commissioning, about 50 per cent of
energy will be for Tamil Nadu and the remaining will be shared between the southern
states by which Kerala will get about 260 megawatt.
M T Jose, head, Radiation Safety
Section, IGCAR, said that waste from nuclear reactor will be minimal and that
can be stored in vitrified glass.
Vice - Chancellor Ramachandran
Thekkedath inaugurated the workshop sponsored by Vigyan Prasar.
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