Mumbai: The Department of Atomic Energy is
"technologically" and "physically" prepared for any internal
or external threat perception, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre
Director R K Sinha said on Thursday.
"In any kind of situation of internal and external
threat or anyone tries to hoodwink the reactor system, there
would be no danger to the public as we have developed
additional integrated safety and physical protection
technologies," Sinha said, inaugurating the two-day National
Conference on Advances in Nuclear Technology (ADNUTECH-2010)
here.
The currently operating reactors are quite safe with
"attack proof" double containment but the new hardware and the
security system developed by BARC which have been already
demonstrated successfully will be an additional feature to
shut down the reactor automatically in case of any emergency,
he said.
"We envisaged constraint in land availability for the
future N-power reactors with increasing population and
therefore this development of additional safety and security
technologies was important.
"With this technology, we can also forgo the 1.6 km
exclusion zone (which is currently practised by NPCIL) and
also assure the public absolute safety," he said, adding this
also requires "transparency".
The new technology is a passive system (using laws of
nature like gravity) and will be implemented in Advanced Heavy
Water Reactor, Sinha said.
The BARC Director said even in the worst kind of
scenario of any possible internal sabotage, the new technology
with inherent safety features, will shut down the plants
automatically without causing any damage to public.
Kirit Parikh, Chairman of Integrated Research and
Action for Development said that commercialisation of Fast
Breeder Reactors were important as one of the factors of
India`s growth.
FBRs will be a major factor for augmentation of energy
production from 8GW to 32 GW (Gigawatts), he said, besides
India`s position being able to import nuclear plants and
Uranium.
Emphasising that India`s energy supply should grow at
least three to four times in the next 20 years, the former
member of Planning Commission said it was possible only
through large energy production through nuclear and coal.
"We also need to change the procurement policy in
public sector undertakings on the basis of life cycle cost to
save energy," Parikh said.
A comprehensive R&D programme was must to make a
transition to a low carbon economy for India, he said at the
conference organised jointly by the DAE and Indian National
Academy of Engineering.
PTI
