GOVERNMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.11
FOR ANSWER ON 02.07.2009 BY S/SHRI D. RAJA AND M.P. ACHUTHAN REGARDING
CONSTRUCTION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS
(a) & (b) Yes, Sir. Discussions have been held
with the agencies of
********
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
NOTE FOR SUPPLEMENTARIES
INDEX
|
S. No. |
Particulars |
Page No. |
|
1. |
Bio-data of Shri D. Raja |
1-2 |
|
2. |
Bio-data of Shri M.P. Achuthan |
3 |
|
3. |
Part I - Executive Summary |
4-6 |
|
4. |
Part-II - Anticipated Questions and Answers |
7-11 |
|
5. |
Part-III - Detailed Note for Supplementaries |
12-18 |
|
6. |
Similar question asked by Shri D. Raja |
19-21 |
|
7. |
Similar questions asked by other members in previous sessions with answers (Rajya Sabha) |
22-27 |
|
8. |
Similar questions asked by other members in previous sessions with answers (Lok Sabha) |
28-32 |
GOVERNMENT OF
DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY
RAJYA SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO.11 FOR ANSWER ON
02.07.2009 BY S/SHRI D. RAJA & M.P. ACHUTHAN REGARDING CONSTRUCTION OF NUCLEAR REACTORS .
PART – I
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
The thrust of
the question is to know if negotiations were held with foreign countries for
building nuclear reactors in the country with their assistance, to move forward
with the Indo-US nuclear deal.
Consequent to
the conclusion of the international agreements – safeguards agreement with the
IAEA and clearance of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, inter governmental
agreements have been concluded by
With a view to
set up large nuclear power capacity in India with foreign cooperation and
exploit full potential of such co-operation, about 40,000 MWe of Light Water
Reactors (LWRs) is planned as an additionality to the indigenous nuclear power programme,
There are four
major state of the art large LWR designs (termed Generation III Plus) which
have several advanced safety features. These are EPRs
of AREVA, France, VVERs of Atomstroyexport
(ASE), Russian Federation, ABWRs of GE Hitachi
Nuclear (GEH), USA and AP1000 of Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) USA. These
four global companies are currently setting up or have plans to set up nuclear
reactors in
The technology
of each of these four companies is current & contemporary and relative
technological evaluation is only in terms of fine technical details. It is
considered desirable, in the first instance, to set up reactors in
cooperation with each of the companies to have technological diversity,
The nuclear
power plants based on international co-operation are planned to be set up as
nuclear power parks, each of about 8000 to 10,000 MWe, consisting of six to
eight LWRs. The work is planned to be taken up on a set of two reactors in the
first instance, followed by another set at the same site when the work on first
set of reactors begins to taper off.
After the signing of inter-governmental agreements with the respective
countries, these companies approached Nuclear Power Corporation of India
(NPCIL) for co-operation in setting up nuclear reactors in
· MoU between NPCIL & AREVA on February 4, 2009 for engagement of the two companies for preparing the contract and related details of setting up two to six EPR reactors units
·
MoU
between NPCIL & GE Hitachi Nuclear Energy (GEH) on March 20, 2009 for
starting discussions on techno-commercial aspects of ABWRs
in
· MoU between NPCIL & Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) on May 28, 2009 for starting discussions on techno-commercial aspects of AP 1000 reactors in India.
Preliminary discussions pursuant to
these MoUs have just begun. Similar discussions are
also in progress with ASE of Russian Federation for setting up additional VVER
units in
In addition to discussions with NPCIL, these companies have also held discussions with Indian industries for development of component suppliers in the country. This would help enhanced indigenization and is also expected to reduce the capital cost of these LWRs. MoUs have been signed in this regard with Indian companies like Larsen & Toubro by these companies. Discussions for nuclear commerce are also taking place between several foreign companies and Indian industries both at company level and through their respective atomic industry fora.
As stated above, the preliminary discussions have just begun and will take a while for the details to emerge.
*********
PART - II
ANTICIPATED QUESTIONS AND THEIR ANSWERS
Why are
LWRs based on foreign
cooperation needed?
LWRs based on foreign
cooperation are being introduced as an additionality
to the indigenous three-stage programme to achieve rapid augmentation in
nuclear capacity. The sequential
execution of the three-stage programme, in view of the fuel cycle linkages,
needs time to exploit its full potential. In the intervening period, the access
to international cooperation and introduction of imported LWRs would enable
increasing the nuclear power capacity at a fast pace to meet the growing
electricity demand.
How much electricity will be generated through these LWRs
?
The LWRs planned are each of capacity 1000 MWe and above. VVERs are of 1000/1250 MWe, EPRs of 1650 MWe, ABWRs of 1350 MWe and AP 1000 of 1100 MWe capacity. Each reactor of 1000 MWe will generate about 7 billion units (BU) of electricity annually (at average capacity factor of 80%). Thus when about 40,000 MWe capacity LWRs are installed, they will generate about 280 BUs.
Does
Two VVERs
of 1000 MWe each are being set up at Kudankulam in Tamilnadu
in technical cooperation with
What will be the source of fuel for the reactors based on international
co-operation? What will be the annual requirement of fuel?
The nuclear reactors based on
international cooperation
will be Light Water Reactors (LWRs), fuelled by low enriched fuel
(4-5%). Necessary guarantees for lifetime fuel supplies will be incorporated in
the commercial agreements/contracts. The annual requirement of low enriched enriched uranium fuel will be about 35 tons per 1000 MWe
capacity.
What is the investment cost of reactors based on international
cooperation and the tariff of electricity generated from them?
The investment cost of setting up such reactors in
What are the current nuclear power tariffs?
The current nuclear power tariffs
range from 94 Paise/kWh to 292 Paise/kWh with the
average tariff being 234 Paise/kWh in 2008-09.
What are the proposed locations in
the country for setting up of nuclear power plants based on international cooperation?
Large capacity Light Water Reactors
(LWRs) are planned to be set up with foreign co-operation to enable faster
nuclear capacity addition. Coastal sites are preferred for setting up reactors based
on international cooperation on
account of availability of abundant seawater for cooling and ease in transport
and handling of heavy large sized equipment. The Government has accorded ‘in
principle’ approval for setting up additional units at Kudankulam, Tamilnadu and a new site at Jaitapur,
Are there any proposals to permit private/ foreign
participation in nuclear power sector?
Currently, Nuclear Power
Stations can be set up only by Government or a Government company in accordance
with the provisions of the Atomic Energy Act. Nuclear Power Corporation of
India Limited (NPCIL) & Bharatiya Nabhikiya
Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) are the two Government companies authorised to
set up nuclear power stations. Private sector participation is possible through
a Joint Venture, in which NPCIL is a majority partner. In addition, private
sector has major participation in supply of equipment & services.
Involvement of private sector
in setting up nuclear power plants would need an amendment of the Atomic Energy
Act.
How are the LWR projects proposed to be funded?
In the XI Plan, work is proposed to be started on 10 imported LWRs. The
projects are proposed to be funded by a mix of debt & equity, at a ratio of
about 70:30. The equity requirements of
these projects are proposed to be met from the reserves and surpluses of
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, while the debt is proposed to be
sourced from external credit and market borrowings. For projects beyond the XI
Plan, if needed, NPCIL will explore other options of raising equity.
How is safety ensured in setting up and
operating nuclear power plants?
Utmost
attention is given to nuclear safety in Indian nuclear power plants. Principle
of “SAFETY FIRST- PRODUCTION LATER” is
adopted in all activities. The overriding importance to safety encompasses the
entire gamut of activities associated with nuclear power plants (NPPs), that is, siting, design,
construction, commissioning, and operation. In all these activities, a major
effort is devoted to ensuring safety of operating personnel, public as well as
the environment.
A
systematic approach using well-defined principles is followed in the design of
the nuclear power plants to provide the required safety features adopting
principles of defence-in-depth, diversity and
redundancy. Nuclear Power Plants are constructed in accordance with the design
intent, and with required quality of workmanship to very strict quality
standards. The manufacture of components and equipment as well as the erection,
testing and commissioning activities are performed under stringent Quality
Assurance Programmes. The operations are performed using well laid out
procedures by thoroughly well qualified and trained staff. The operators are
trained using simulators and periodically re-trained for sharpening their
reflexes and skills.
The
specific safety features of the Indian Nuclear Power Reactors are:
a) In design of nuclear power plants,
safety principles of redundancy, diversity and fail-safe design features are
followed. Physical separation between redundant safety systems and diversity of
equipment of critical safety systems ensure that common mode failures due to
fire etc. do not occur.
b) The defence-in-depth
approach in design ensures that there are multiple barriers (fuel matrix, fuel
clad, primary pressure pipe, primary containment and secondary containment) to
be crossed before radioactivity can escape to environment.
c) There is a multi-tier system of review
by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) during all the stages.
d) For nuclear power plant operation,
operating personnel for specific positions are licensed by AERB and then only
allowed to perform the task.
e) An exclusion zone of 1.6 km radius
around the reactors is established where the land is acquired and fenced. No resident public habitation is permitted.
In addition a sterilised zone of 5 km. radius
surrounds the plant where only normal growth of existing population is allowed.
f) Emergency preparedness, as a matter of
abundant caution, is ensured by well laid down plans and procedures and regular
rehearsals by the plant and state authorities.
How is the environment around the nuclear
power plant monitored to ensure that radioactivity is within permissible
limits?
Each
atomic power plant has an Environmental Survey Laboratory (ESL) which is
independent of the atomic power plant/ Nuclear Power Corporation of India
Limited (NPCIL) management and reports directly to Bhabha
Atomic Research Centre (BARC). These Laboratories undertake continuous
surveillance of the environment by analysing the
environmental matrices like air, water and foodstuff like cereals, milk,
vegetables, fish etc, for their radioactivity contents. The radiation dose to
the members of the public is computed from these measurements and is found to be
only a fraction of the permissible dose limits prescribed by Atomic Energy
Regulatory Board (AERB).
*******
PART – III
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION
The Indigenous Three Stage Programme
The three-stage nuclear power
programme has been formulated in the context of our limited uranium but
abundant thorium reserves. The three-stage programme has important fuel cycle
linkages and has to be gone through sequentially.
The following graphic shows the power potential and status of
the three-stage programme.
The
sequential execution of the three-stage programme, in view of the fuel cycle
linkages, needs time.
Additionalities
Additionalities to the indigenous programme have been
introduced to add large nuclear power capacity in the near term, to meet the growing
electricity demand. Two LWRs of 1000 MWe are under construction at Kudankulam, Tamilnadu.
Nuclear Power
Stations in Operation
The present total nuclear power capacity in the country is 4120 MWe with 17 reactors. The details of nuclear power stations in operation are given in the Table below:
Unit-Location |
Reactor Type |
Capacity (MWe) |
Date of Commercial Operation |
|
FUELLED BY LOW ENRICHED IMPORTED URANIUM. |
|||
|
TAPS-1 Tarapur, |
BWR |
160 |
28-Oct-1969 |
|
TAPS-2 Tarapur, |
BWR |
160 |
28-Oct-1969 |
|
FUELLED BY INDIGENOUS NATURAL URANIUM |
|||
|
RAPS-1 Rawatbhata, Rajasthan * |
PHWR |
100 |
16-Dec-1973 |
|
RAPS-2 Rawatbhata, Rajasthan |
PHWR |
200 |
01-Apr-1981 |
|
MAPS-1 Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu |
PHWR |
220 |
27-Jan-1984 |
|
MAPS-2 Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu |
PHWR |
220 |
21-Mar-1986 |
|
NAPS-1 Narora, Uttar Pradesh |
PHWR |
220 |
01-Jan-1991 |
|
NAPS-2 Narora, Uttar Pradesh |
PHWR |
220 |
01-Jul-1992 |
|
KAPS-1 Kakrapar,
|
PHWR |
220 |
06-May-1993 |
|
KAPS-2 Kakrapar,
|
PHWR |
220 |
01-Sep-1995 |
|
KAIGA-2, Kaiga, Karnataka |
PHWR |
220 |
16-Mar-2000 |
|
RAPS-3 Rawatbhata, Rajasthan |
PHWR |
220 |
01-Jun-2000 |
|
KAIGA-1Kaiga, Karnataka |
PHWR |
220 |
16-Nov-2000 |
|
RAPS-4 Rawatbhata, Rajasthan |
PHWR |
220 |
23-Dec-2000 |
|
TAPS-4 Tarapur, |
PHWR |
540 |
12-Sep-2005 |
|
TAPS-3 Tarapur, |
PHWR |
540 |
18-Aug-2006 |
|
KAIGA-3 Kaiga, Karnataka |
PHWR |
220 |
06-May-2007 |
|
Total |
4120 |
|
|
BWR:
Boiling Water Reactor
(LWR) PHWR:
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor
* Owned by
DAE and operated by NPCIL
Reactors under
Construction
There are six reactors under construction, three of them are PHWRs of 220 MWe, two LWRs of 1000 MWe introduced as an additionality and a second stage Fast Breeder Reactors (PFBR) of 500 MWe. The details of the projects under construction are shown below:
|
Scheme |
Location |
Capacity (MWe) |
Expected
date of Completion |
|
|
Kaiga Atomic Power Project Unit 4 |
Kaiga, Karnataka |
220 PHWR |
2010 |
|
|
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Units -1&2 |
Kudankulam, Tamilnadu |
2X1000 MWe LWRs |
2010 |
|
|
Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Units-5&6 |
Rawatbhata, Rajasthan |
2X220 PHWRs |
2009 |
|
|
Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) |
Kalpakkam, Tamilnadu |
1X500 (FBR) |
2011 |
|
The work on RAPP 5&6 & Kaiga 4 PHWRs is completed and awaiting fuel supply. On completion of these projects progressively during the current five year plan, the nuclear installed capacity will reach 7280 MWe
Nuclear Power
Programme- Future Plans
The Integrated Energy Policy of the
country envisages reaching a nuclear power capacity of 63,000 MWe by the year
2032. Large-scale expansion of the nuclear power, based both on indigenous
reactors and reactors
based on international cooperation, is planned.
The XI Plan proposals envisage starting work on 8 Pressurised Heavy Water
Reactors of 700 MWe each, four Fast Breeder Reactors of 500 MWe each and one
Advanced Heavy Water Reactor of 300 MWe.
It
is planned to start work on an additional 10,000 MWe capacity based on
international cooperation, as additionality to the
indigenous programme in the XI Plan.
International Cooperation Initiatives & Setting up of LWRs
The
Government had taken initiatives on international cooperation in nuclear
energy. The fruition of those efforts have led to ending of
|
S.No. |
Date |
Event |
Place |
|
1 |
Jul 18, 2005 |
Joint Statement by |
|
|
2 |
Feb 27, 2006 |
Suomoto statement by the PM in Parliament on
civil nuclear cooperation with |
|
|
3 |
Mar 02, 2006 |
Agreement between |
|
|
4 |
Dec 18, 2006 |
US Legislation on Nuclear Cooperation with |
|
|
5 |
Aug 03, 2007 |
Text of 123 Agreement released |
|
|
6 |
July 09, 2008 |
Draft text of |
IAEA, |
|
7 |
Aug 01, 2008 |
IAEA Board adopts |
IAEA, |
|
8 |
Sep 06, 2008 |
NSG grants waiver to |
IAEA, |
|
9 |
Sep 30, 2008 |
|
|
|
10 |
Oct 10, 2008 |
123 Agreement signed between |
|
|
11 |
Dec 06, 2008 |
|
|
|
12 |
Dec 17, 2008 |
Agreement signed between DAE and AREVA for supply of 300 tons of fuel |
|
|
13 |
Jan 24, 2009 |
|
|
|
14 |
Jan 24, 2009 |
NPCIL & KAZATOMPROM sign MoU for cooperation in nuclear industry |
|
|
15 |
Feb 04, 2009 |
NPCIL & AREVA sign agreement for setting up EPRs at Jaitapur in |
|
|
16 |
Feb 11, 2009 |
Agreement to be signed between DAE & Russian firm for supply of 2000 tons of fuel pellets |
|
|
17 |
Feb 14, 2009 |
NPCIL & NTPC sign MoU to incorporate a Joint Venture for setting nuclear power plants |
|
|
18 |
Mar 23, 2009 |
|
|
|
19 |
May 28, 2009 |
|
|
Setting up of large capacity LWRs
With a view to
set up large nuclear power capacity in
There are four
major state of the art large LWR designs (termed Generation III Plus) which
have several advanced safety features. These are EPRs
of AREVA, France, VVERs of Atomstroyexport
(ASE) of Russian Federation, ABWRs of GE Hitachi
Nuclear (GEH), USA and AP1000 of Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) USA. In
the first instance, reactors in cooperation with each of the companies are
planned to be set up to have technological diversity. The perspectives of the
reactors planned are shown below:
VVER 392 – Capacity 1000 MWe by ASE,
EPR
– Capacity 1650 MWe by AREVA, France
ABWR Capacity
1350 MWe by
AP1000
– Capacity 1100 MWe
Current Status on the discussions
The enabling frameworks have been put in place with the conclusion of inter-governmental agreements. At the governmental level, no negotiations have been held. With a view to come to the negotiation stage, at the governmental level, preliminary discussions including MoUs for finalisation of scope of works the model of contract, etc. have begun at the company level.
*********