Should India consider phasing out nuclear power? | The Hindu Parley podcast
1 year, 7 months ago

Should India consider phasing out nuclear power? | The Hindu Parley podcast

The Hindu  

April 28, 2023 12:30 am | Updated 12:34 pm IST Germany has shut down the last of its nuclear power plants; France, the nuclear powerhouse of the world, is struggling to replenish its stock of ageing reactors. With solar and wind power becoming more popular globally, there are questions on whether nuclear power, with its attendant concerns on cost and safety, remains a relevant option for a future that is fossil-free, particularly in India. Here we discuss whether nuclear energy should be phased out. Guests: R. Srikanth, Professor and Dean, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Bengaluru and head of the Energy, Environment and Climate Change Programme; Rahul Tongia, Senior Fellow, Center for Social and Economic Progress, New Delhi, where he leads the Energy, Natural Resources and Sustainability Group Host: Jacob Koshy Read the parley article here You can now find The Hindu’s podcasts on Spotify, Apple Podcasts and Stitcher.

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History of this topic

The global warming fight has a challenge for India
1 day, 4 hours ago

The global warming fight has a challenge for India

The Hindu  

The outcome of the climate conference in Azerbaijan has been disappointing. Developed countries have accepted 2050, China 2060, and India 2070 as the deadline for energy transition to net zero emissions by 2070. We need to rapidly ramp up electricity generation to establish our claim to an energy level that is sufficient to sustain future growth before we are constrained …

India to triple atomic power capacity by 2031
1 week, 5 days ago

India to triple atomic power capacity by 2031

Deccan Chronicle  

India's atomic power capacity has almost doubled in the past decade from 4,780 megawatts to 8,081 megawatts and it would be tripled by 2031, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday. This means that the capacity developed in the last 10 years equals what was achieved over the previous 60 years," he said.Singh projected that by 2031-32, the generation capacity …

Nuclear power: Two stocks tapping into a huge but restricted opportunity
2 weeks ago

Nuclear power: Two stocks tapping into a huge but restricted opportunity

Live Mint  

The growing Indian economy has significantly increased the demand for electricity. In 2023, BHEL entered into a Memorandum of Understanding with NPCIL to jointly explore opportunities in pressurized heavy water reactor -based nuclear power plants, strengthening its position in India's nuclear energy landscape. BHEL's strategic focus on nuclear power and its partnership with NPCIL underscore its potential to capitalize on …

Having private participation in India’s nuclear energy
2 months, 3 weeks ago

Having private participation in India’s nuclear energy

The Hindu  

In July 2024, the Government of India, while presenting the Union Budget for FY 2024-25, inter alia, made announcements on the expansion of India’s nuclear energy sector, proposing partnerships with the private sector for research and developing Bharat Small Reactors, Bharat Small Modular Reactors as well as newer nuclear energy technologies. With the government’s new announcement, there is renewed interest …

Budget 2024-25: India's energy transition plan
4 months, 1 week ago

Budget 2024-25: India's energy transition plan

Hindustan Times  

India, targeting a $7 trillion economy and decarbonisation target by achieving 500 GW of fossil-fuel free generating capacity by 2030, needs a well-rounded strategy that harmonises economic development with environmental sustainability. To reach India’s goal of achieving 50 percent of its total installed power generation capacity come from non-fossil fuel sources by 2030, India must install approximately 50 gigawatts of …

Powering India’s future
4 months, 2 weeks ago

Powering India’s future

The Hindu  

In her seventh consecutive Budget speech, the Finance Minister announced measures indicating India’s commitment to its clean energy transition. Despite past efforts to add renewable capacity, its share in India’s power generation mix is just 13%. Previous power supply shortages and expectations of rising energy demand have driven policymakers to bet on new coal capacity. Instead, we must strive to …

Problem power: On small modular reactor plan
4 months, 3 weeks ago

Problem power: On small modular reactor plan

The Hindu  

The Indian government is planning to team up with the private sector to study and test small modular reactors. Nuclear power offers a sufficiently high and sustainable power output, even if externalised costs like those of building safe and reliable reactors and handling spent nuclear fuel complicate this calculus. The nuclear power tariff is thus higher from ‘younger’ facilities, even …

India close to completing its most advanced nuclear plant ever in boost for clean energy
4 months, 3 weeks ago

India close to completing its most advanced nuclear plant ever in boost for clean energy

The Independent  

Sign up to the Independent Climate email for the latest advice on saving the planet Get our free Climate email Get our free Climate email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy India is close to completing its most advanced nuclear plant, marking a major step forward …

Budget 2024: For Developed India by 2047, Sitharaman banks on renewable & nuclear energy
5 months ago

Budget 2024: For Developed India by 2047, Sitharaman banks on renewable & nuclear energy

Firstpost  

The Budget 2024-25 makes way for private sector’s participation in the research and development of small modular nuclear reactors to boost India’s nuclear energy capacity Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman made announcements related to nuclear energy production and private sector's role in it in the Budget 2024 As the fastest-growing major economy that Prime Minister Narendra Modi has set 2047 …

Budget 2024: India to boost nuclear energy, develop Bharat Small Reactors
5 months ago

Budget 2024: India to boost nuclear energy, develop Bharat Small Reactors

India Today  

In a significant move towards diversifying India's energy mix, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced major initiatives for nuclear energy development in the Union Budget 2024. Read Full Budget 2024 Coverage In line with India's commitment to sustainable development, the Finance Minister announced plans to formulate regulations for transitioning from energy efficiency targets to emission targets. By embracing nuclear energy, enhancing …

India’s clean energy boom slows as new solar projects get delayed. Experts say it can pick back up
10 months, 2 weeks ago

India’s clean energy boom slows as new solar projects get delayed. Experts say it can pick back up

Associated Press  

BENGALURU, India — For years, renewable projects in India have been growing steadily, from small-town rooftop solar installations to large-scale projects across the desert and long stretches of wind turbines and solar panels on farmland all contributing to the country’s climate goal of transitioning to clean energy. It takes up to two years for solar projects to come online after …

India will ‘commission a nuclear power reactor every year’: NPCIL chief
11 months ago

India will ‘commission a nuclear power reactor every year’: NPCIL chief

The Hindu  

On December 17, 2023, India’s largest indigenously developed 700-MWe pressurised heavy water reactor – the fourth unit in Kakrapar, Gujarat – attained criticality. Pathak told The Hindu NPCIL plans to “commission a nuclear power reactor every year” hence. Mr. Pathak is a Distinguished Scientist of the Department of Atomic Energy and has more than 30 years of experience implementing the …

Should India set a higher bar to address climate change? | The Hindu Parley podcast
1 year ago

Should India set a higher bar to address climate change? | The Hindu Parley podcast

The Hindu  

In a historic first, all 198 signatories to the 28th United Nations’ Conference of the Parties adopted to “transition away” from “all fossil fuels” as opposed to only coal, as was agreed upon at COP26, in Glasgow. Unsurprisingly, it supported the incumbent COP President Sultan Ahmed Al-Jaber of the UAE when he proposed to “transition away” from oil and gas, …

UN nuclear chief says nuclear energy must be part of the equation to tackle climate change
1 year, 1 month ago

UN nuclear chief says nuclear energy must be part of the equation to tackle climate change

Associated Press  

UNITED NATIONS — Nuclear energy must be part of the equation to tackle climate change, the U.N. nuclear chief said Wednesday. Over a quarter of the electricity from nuclear power is low-carbon electricity and global carbon dioxide emissions would be considerably higher without nuclear power, Grossi said. And in Africa, where electricity capacity is set to grow fivefold by 2050, …

Splitting atoms and opinions
1 year, 3 months ago

Splitting atoms and opinions

Hindustan Times  

The July of 2023 now holds the record for being the hottest month in recorded history. European states including France and Germany, which has recently shut down its last existing nuclear power stations, have approved a new proposal that puts ‘other non-fossil’ sources of energy back in the mix with renewables, thus opening doors for nuclear energy. Its supporters argue …

Can small modular nuclear reactors help India achieve net-zero?
1 year, 4 months ago

Can small modular nuclear reactors help India achieve net-zero?

The Hindu  

The story so far: The world’s quest to decarbonise itself is guided, among other things, by the U.N. Issues with nuclear power Nuclear power plants generate 10% of the world’s electricity and help it avoid 180 billion cubic metres of natural gas demand and 1.5 billion tonnes of CO 2 emissions every year. Efficient regulation required Accelerating the deployment of …

Business Matters | Why is the rising cost of coal-fired power plants good news for India?
1 year, 7 months ago

Business Matters | Why is the rising cost of coal-fired power plants good news for India?

The Hindu  

Why is the rising cost of coal-fired power plants good news for India? It said that achieving net zero – which India aims to reach by 2070 – will require adjustments to how people live, work, and move around—and some of these changes will be costly. First, India expects to increase investments in coal-fired power plants to help power economic …

Should India consider phasing out nuclear power?
1 year, 7 months ago

Should India consider phasing out nuclear power?

The Hindu  

Germany has shut down the last of its nuclear power plants; France, the nuclear powerhouse of the world, is struggling to replenish its stock of ageing reactors. South Korea’s new president has changed the energy policy and committed to increasing the share of nuclear power in the country’s energy mix to 30% by 2030. Beyond Germany, the U.K. has said …

Govt says it has no plans to stop use of nuclear power, to build 10 new atomic power reactors by 2031
1 year, 8 months ago

Govt says it has no plans to stop use of nuclear power, to build 10 new atomic power reactors by 2031

India TV News  

The government on Wednesday informed the Lok Sabha that it has approved building 10 atomic power reactors at a cost of Rs 1.05 lakh crore by 2031 and does not propose to stop the use of nuclear energy in the future. "No, sir," Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh said in response to a question from …

Centre gave approval for installation of 10 nuclear reactors: Jitendra Singh
1 year, 8 months ago

Centre gave approval for installation of 10 nuclear reactors: Jitendra Singh

Live Mint  

New Delhi: The government has given approval for installation of ten nuclear reactors in the country, union minister Jitendra Singh informed Parliament on Wednesday. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said that the government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for ten indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors of 700 MW each in fleet …

Nuclear power sector saves 41 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year: Govt.
1 year, 9 months ago

Nuclear power sector saves 41 million tonnes of carbon emissions every year: Govt.

The Hindu  

India's nuclear power sector is saving 41 million tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions annually, compared to emissions that would have been generated by equivalent electricity generation from coal-based thermal power plants, Union Minister Jitendra Singh informed Lok Sabha on March 15. Nuclear power currently comprises 3% of India's total electricity generation, Mr. Singh said, adding that sufficient production and share …

Solar energy is not the best option for India
1 year, 10 months ago

Solar energy is not the best option for India

The Hindu  

The Hindu’s editorial, Energy conundrum, expressing caution about the country’s bubbling enthusiasm in the climate change agenda by going the whole hog on solar energy is timely but spartan, and needs amplification. Apart from the external pressure that is pushing India more and more into the so-called carbon limiting renewable energy path, the Prime Minister’s own enthusiasm and support and …

French President Macron to visit India next year, nuclear power on agenda
2 years, 2 months ago

French President Macron to visit India next year, nuclear power on agenda

The Hindu  

French President Emmanuel Macron is expected to visit India in “early 2023” with India’s Science Minister Jitendra Singh committing on Tuesday to resolve “technical, financial and civil nuclear liability issues” surrounding the proposed nuclear power projects in Jaitapur, Maharashtra, that are to be built with French assistance. Last year, the French company EDF submitted to the Nuclear Power Corporation of …

Sticking to commitments: The Hindu Editorial on India’s climate change goals
2 years, 4 months ago

Sticking to commitments: The Hindu Editorial on India’s climate change goals

The Hindu  

Ahead of the 27th Conference of the Parties of the UNFCCC, in Sharm El-Sheikh, Egypt, in November, the Union Cabinet has approved India’s Nationally Determined Contributions, a formal statement detailing its action plan to address climate change. India’s first NDC, in 2015, specified eight targets, the most salient of them being reducing the emissions intensity of GDP by 33%-35% by …

New Energy Bill Promotes Green Hydrogen, Incentivises Use of Clean Technology - News18
2 years, 5 months ago

New Energy Bill Promotes Green Hydrogen, Incentivises Use of Clean Technology - News18

News 18  

Parliament is the temple of democracy and parliamentary procedures the rites by which the will of the people is translated into practice. The ongoing Monsoon Session of Parliament will see the tabling of 24 bills including the Energy Conservation Bill, 2022, which stresses promoting clean energy and use of clean hydrogen. The ministry of power had last year proposed changes …

Universal access to energy is vital
2 years, 5 months ago

Universal access to energy is vital

Hindustan Times  

The centrepiece of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s pitch to the world’s richest nations at the G-7 summit in Germany was equity in energy access. Mr Modi said that access to energy shouldn’t be the privilege of only the rich at a time when geopolitical tensions are propelling energy costs and pointed out that while providing energy access to its citizens, …

India heading towards another power crisis in July-August: Report
2 years, 6 months ago

India heading towards another power crisis in July-August: Report

Deccan Chronicle  

New Delhi: A lower pre-monsoon coal stock at thermal power plants in India is suggestive of another power crisis in July-August, independent research organisation CREA has said. "The data compiled from official sources suggest that the coal power plants are in no position to address even a minor spike in the power demand and there is a need to plan …

A squeeze on climate goals
2 years, 6 months ago

A squeeze on climate goals

Hindustan Times  

At the United Nations climate summit in Glasgow in November 2021, member countries reaffirmed the Paris Agreement’s goal of limiting the increase in the global average temperature to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit it to 1.5 °C. This, says an International Energy Agency report, could impact the profitability of the renewable energy industry and …

Explained | How quickly can India move away from coal?
2 years, 7 months ago

Explained | How quickly can India move away from coal?

The Hindu  

The story so far: On Friday, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister M.K. Decline in coal stocks and the resulting power outages in several States have spurred queries of renewable energy’s potential to fill in for the conventional resource. The India Energy Outlook 2021 report of the International Energy Agency said energy use in India has doubled since 2000, with 80% of …

A clean energy transition plan for India
3 years, 2 months ago

A clean energy transition plan for India

The Hindu  

Energy security warrants the uninterrupted supply of energy at affordable prices. TPPs contributed 71% of the 1,382 billion units of electricity generated by utilities in India during FY 2020-21 though they accounted for only 55% of the total installed generation capacity of 382 GW. Contours of a plan We have developed a time-bound transition plan for India’s power sector involving …

India's energy crisis: Coal shortage an opportunity to fully explore renewable, nuclear options
3 years, 2 months ago

India's energy crisis: Coal shortage an opportunity to fully explore renewable, nuclear options

Firstpost  

The current crisis should be seen as a window of opportunity to not go back to producing more coal but to begin the transition to explore green and renewable energy With a coal shortage at thermal power projects persisting and India continuing to grapple with an energy crisis, the need of the hour is for the Centre to shift focus …

Facts on India's nuclear power and list of nuclear research centres in India
3 years, 2 months ago

Facts on India's nuclear power and list of nuclear research centres in India

India Today  

The Indian government aims to grow its nuclear power capacity as part of its infrastructure development programme and has set ambitious targets for the same. Moreover, since 2010, an incompatibility between India’s civil liability law and international conventions has limited the provision of foreign technology in nuclear research. Developing alternate nuclear fuel resources The lack of indigenous uranium along with …

Watch | India on the brink of a power crisis due to coal shortage
3 years, 2 months ago

Watch | India on the brink of a power crisis due to coal shortage

The Hindu  

The world is facing an energy crunch as the supply of natural gas, coal and other energy sources fail to adequately satisfy growing demand. Amid this global energy crisis, a power crisis is brewing in India with the country's power plants running on critically low coal stocks. Three out of four power plants in the country possess less than a …

As India Readies to Dig Up More Coal, Top Energy Body Warns Against Emmissions
3 years, 2 months ago

As India Readies to Dig Up More Coal, Top Energy Body Warns Against Emmissions

News 18  

As India’s power plants grapple with coal shortages and the Centre scrambles to augment production of the dry fuel, one of the world’s leading energy agencies has urged nations to cut greenhouse gas emissions, warning that the world is not on track to meet environmental goals and that new investment in clean energy was needed to jolt the energy system …

Disrupted Coal Supply, High Electricity Demand Could Spell a Power Crisis For India
3 years, 2 months ago

Disrupted Coal Supply, High Electricity Demand Could Spell a Power Crisis For India

News 18  

India is facing a severe shortage of coal as the shortage of it could leave thermal power plants without fuel. India relies heavily on thermal power plants for its electricity needs and therefore coal remains as the major fuel behind India’s electricity supply. India is facing two challenges- soaring electricity demand as manufacturing and business rebounds after Covid-19 curbs were …

A low-carbon future through sector-led change
3 years, 8 months ago

A low-carbon future through sector-led change

The Hindu  

In the build-up to the ‘Leaders’ Climate Summit’ organised by the United States this week, there has been a flurry of articles about whether India should announce a ‘net-zero’ emissions target, and by when. Yet, announcing an Indian 2050 net-zero commitment risks taking on a much heavier burden of decarbonisation than many wealthier countries, and could seriously compromise India’s development …

Global efforts to stop climate change won't be as successful if India doesn't step up
3 years, 8 months ago

Global efforts to stop climate change won't be as successful if India doesn't step up

Firstpost  

Global efforts to arrest climate change and keep Earth liveable will fail without a jumbo-sized effort from India to halt emissions growth that could wipe out ambitious carbon reduction targets elsewhere. But India bristles at being told what to do, particularly by Western countries that bear far more historical responsibility for climate change and still have much higher per capita …

India considers to go net-zero emissions by 2050. Can it achieve the target?
3 years, 9 months ago

India considers to go net-zero emissions by 2050. Can it achieve the target?

Live Mint  

Top Indian government officials are debating whether to set a target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Committing to a legally binding net-zero target would help India attract some of the trillions of dollars in investment that’ll be required for a green transformation, lawmaker Jayant Sinha, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and an advocate …

Six charts show hard it is for India to hit net zero by 2050
3 years, 9 months ago

Six charts show hard it is for India to hit net zero by 2050

Live Mint  

Top Indian government officials are debating whether to set a target for net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. Committing to a legally binding net-zero target would help India attract some of the trillions of dollars in investment that’ll be required for a green transformation, lawmaker Jayant Sinha, a member of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party and an advocate …

Big change in energy mix needed to achieve net-zero emissions in 2060s: IEA
3 years, 10 months ago

Big change in energy mix needed to achieve net-zero emissions in 2060s: IEA

Hindustan Times  

A new report on India’s energy scenario has flagged that the country will have to adopt big changes in its energy mix to be able to transition to net-zero emissions by the mid-2060s. To achieve net-zero emissions by the 2060s, India’s energy sector will need a profound transformation, the India Energy Outlook of International Energy Agency has said. Big change …

India Could be Largest Contributor for the Renewable Energy Sector in 2021
4 years ago

India Could be Largest Contributor for the Renewable Energy Sector in 2021

News 18  

Renewable Energy has established itself as the technology of choice for new power generation capacity globally. India is now the 5th largest market for renewable energy in the world, 4th largest market for wind and 3rd largest market for solar in the world only behind China and US. Today, India is one of the countries with the largest contribution of …

Agitation staged opposing nuclear plant at Kovvada
4 years, 2 months ago

Agitation staged opposing nuclear plant at Kovvada

The Hindu  

CITU State vice-president and Anti Nuclear Power Plant Committee convener D. Govinda Rao on Saturday urged the Union government to drop the plan to set up an atomic power plant at Kovvada, near Ranasthalam, in Srikakulam district. Addressing the CITU activists and members of the committee, who staged an agitation at Kovvada, Mr. Govinda Rao said the nuclear project would …

Possible to Shift to Renewable Energy: Experts Welcome UN Secy Gen's Advice to India on Combatting Climate Change
4 years, 3 months ago

Possible to Shift to Renewable Energy: Experts Welcome UN Secy Gen's Advice to India on Combatting Climate Change

News 18  

Experts on Saturday welcomed UN secretary general’s advice to India to phase out fossil fuel to combat climate change, saying it’s possible to shift to renewable energy but the government needs an inclusive and comprehensive action plan to ensure a just energy transition and livelihood of workers. The UN SG had on Friday called on India to be at the …

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