PGSRET 2018

Abstract

Gone are the days when availability of the primary energy resources was considered sufficient for the sustainability of the energy programs, and people only worried if the supply of coal, oil and gas would last long enough.

However, the increasing burden on the environment and rising global temperatures resulting from high consumption of fossil fuels has led to much broader concerns. Now the energy supply system may only be regarded sustainable if besides being accessible, reliable, and economical, it is also renewable, environment friendly and socially acceptable.

The above requirements automatically exclude the fossil fuels notwithstanding their ability to provide base-load electricity at economically competitive rates. That coupled with the renewed R&D effort in the area of clean energy sources, and the sharply decreasing prices of solar has ushered in a singular shift towards renewable. That is somewhat reminiscent of the arrival of nuclear when, in the sixties and seventies, the nuclear being reliable, clean and economically competitive base-load option got off to a flying start in the developed countries even before the climate change had posed itself as a looming threat.

Unfortunately, nuclear lost its charm after the three infamous accidents, even though the resulting casualties were insignificant and far outnumbered by the casualties from various energy sources producing equivalent amount of energy. Therefore, it is only logical that nuclear which has the capability to provide large quantities of electricity would be substituting the fossil fuel based plans, and will have a large stake in providing base-load electricity to industrialized economies.

The keynote address would review the current nuclear scenario; focus on the apprehensions that have overshadowed the growth of nuclear; and would provide an overview of the measures in areas such as public perception, nuclear safety, radiation dose limits and plant capital costs that would steer nuclear to play its due role in the quest for sustainable energy.

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