IUnited States and India have had about 18 years together announced His intention to start a civilian nuclear business. While the commercial promise of the move has not materialized, the potential benefits of civil nuclear cooperation are expanding. The Narendra Modi government should consider amending the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act to fulfill the promise made earlier. Expansion of nuclear power generation will help India meet its Make in India and energy independence goals. It will further strengthen the deepening US-India strategic partnership.
India was an early adopter of nuclear energy. Its 1974 “peaceful nuclear tests” impressed other countries Cutting Stopped supporting New Delhi. But subsequent nuclear tests in 1998 and the knowledge that the country intended to build a stockpile of nuclear weapons fueled US interest in re-engaging with India on civil nuclear cooperation. This new interest appeared as early as 2004 when the US and India signed the Next Step in Strategic Partnership (nssp, Despite the change of government in Delhi, in July 2005, US President George W. Bush and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept this policy firmly in place. roadmap The beginning of hysteria on both sides, for civil nuclear cooperation.
However, while both the US and India took bold steps to move forward with nuclear trade, their cooperation was paralyzed in 2010 when Parliament passed it. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010, The law’s open-ended approach to supplier liability in case of a nuclear accident prevents any nuclear trade between the two countries. Delhi set up the Indian Nuclear Insurance Pool to indemnify nuclear reactor suppliers against liability, but this body has been unable to foster any real business. It is known to be expensive, and its untested nature adds new types of risk for suppliers. The law should be further amended to refocus the liability on the operator as with the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (csc), which India adopted in 1997 and works to balance civil defense and funding needs. There are real concerns about the risks associated with the nuclear plant crisis, but nuclear power isn’t going to be phased out anytime soon – even Japan is Turning to this exactly a decade after the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi plant.
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where nuclear power plugs in
India has many reasons to boost its domestic clean energy supply. They help balance trade, provide vital energy security, improve local job creation and help the country contribute to global climate goals.
In recent years, however, the policy emphasis for clean energy in India has shifted towards solar and wind power. They both benefit the country in the same way as nuclear power. But India will have to tap all three energy resources to meet its ambitious renewable energy targets. One good development is that nuclear power is evolving, and developers are increasingly focusing on smaller, more cost-effective reactors.
Nuclear power can be applied where wind and solar power is lacking, ensuring a continuous supply. Nuclear power does not fluctuate dramatically with changing weather patterns or the fall of night. In my program work, we find that state governments in India have announced goals to reduce dependence on coal-fired thermal power. And although they are working towards building renewable energy capacity, practically speaking, they continue with coal-fired plants. Because They are reliable. Nuclear energy can offer a solution to this problem.
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some important areas
Large scale continuous electrical power is important for heavy industries. The Narendra Modi government today is pushing for major investments in energy-intensive sectors. Many of these would pair well with nuclear power. These include hydrogen production, data centers and semiconductor manufacturing.
hydrogen: The US Department of Energy estimates that a single 1,000 MW nuclear reactor can produce 150,000 tons of hydrogen Per year.
data centers: also department Estimate Data centers use 10 to 50 times the energy per floor space of typical commercial buildings. International Energy Agency (IEA) Estimate Data centers and transmission networks account for about 1 percent of greenhouse gas emissions. It will only increase with time.
semiconductorSemiconductor manufacturing takes place the most energy-intensive subsector in the information and communications technology industry – and is expected to grow dramatically in the coming years as semiconductor manufacturing becomes more widespread and chips become more complex.
The Modi government’s Make in India will be more successful if manufacturing firms get stable electricity power grids. Renewable energy should remain a focus area, complemented by investment in nuclear power as a base load and reliable generation.
While the renewed focus on nuclear power generation holds great promise for India domestically, the push will also help the country meet its commitment to generate 500 GW of non-fossil fuel electricity by 2030. It will also help Delhi improve its energy independence, reduce economic volatility due to global price fluctuations, and reducing dependence on non-democratic and market-permissive nations.
The US-India Civil Nuclear Cooperation Initiative is almost 20 years old. Its importance as an inspirational guidepost for “what is possible” lives on. However, the commercial relevance of the agreement is not yet complete. As the Modi government enters the last year of its term, it should revisit the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010. It will further enhance India’s partnership with the US, help meet its global climate commitments, and, most importantly, determine Table of success in key areas of Make in India.
Richard M. Rosso is Senior Advisor and Wadhwani Chair in US-India Policy Studies, Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), Washington DC. Thoughts are personal.
(Edited by Hamra Like)