Nuclear power to help India meet its carbon obligations

“Today India has the most comprehensive, broad nuclear programme, compared to the top industrialised nations,” comments Shah Nawaz Ahmad, Senior Adviser – India, Middle East and South-East Asia; World Nuclear Association
 The World Nuclear Association (WNA), headquartered in London, represents the global nuclear industry. The association promotes a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key nuclear influencers. In an exclusive interview with EPR, Shah Nawaz Ahmad opens up about the importance of nuclear power, India’s dependence on nuclear, and how WNA is paving the way for expanding nuclear business.
Nuclear power contributes less than 3 per cent of India’s total energy generation. How far India can move from here?Energy, especially electricity, is a fundamental requirement for the development of any community. In India, it is almost an aspirational need. The demand is large and the need to increase electricity production acute. In view of the urgency, India needs to adopt an optimal mix of various generating technologies, including fossil, renewable and nuclear.
Increase in renewable and nuclear will permit India to meet its carbon obligations. I see both renewable and nuclear as being on the same side of the carbon divide.
At their present state of development, nuclear and renewable complement each other. Nuclear is best suited for bulk production and industrial use, and renewable for more distributed loads.
India thus needs to have a fair share of nuclear, about 25 per cent by 2050, or even earlier is an achievable target. This is possible as India has a strong industrial and infrastructure base in this sector. This will need to be further upgraded.
India was outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT) due to its weapons program for 34 years. How did it hamper the development of nuclear power sector in India?I would have posed this question rather differently, and like to answer it in a different way.
India has always maintained that NPT is not a fair treaty and still isn’t signatory to it. Also, India’s strategic interests have dictated development in that area.
Pre 2005, the challenges were many, including a much lower GDP, limited infrastructure and so forth. Then there were international restrictions on nuclear trade and information exchange. Indian industry, with considerable help and guidance from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), rose magnificently to make India self-sufficient in this sector. This concentrated effort has had a game changing impact on technological development in the country, including sectors beyond atomic energy. So the challenges may have slowed down the programme but have also been of great benefit.
Today India has the most comprehensive, broad nuclear programme, compared to the top industrialised nations. Hence, it was a challenge well met. Dr R.K. Sinha and his colleagues in DAE need to be applauded by a grateful nation.
What are initiatives World Nuclear Association has been taking to promote nuclear energy and support the companies that comprise the global nuclear industry?The World Nuclear Association, along with the IAEA and WANO is among the leading international organisations with nuclear as its core activity.
WNA is headquartered in London, with Agneta Rising as its Director General. WNA also has a presence in India, China and Australia. WNA is an industry based organisation, with 180 members who make up the who’s who of nuclear power across the globe. In India, our members — NPCIL, UCIL, ECIL, NFC and AMD — are the core players in this sector.
WNA represents the global nuclear industry. Its role is to promote a wider understanding of nuclear energy among key nuclear influencers by producing authoritative information, developing common industry positions as well as pave the way for expanding nuclear business responsibly.

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