Diversification of the Indian Nuclear Industry via Nuclear Cogeneration: Some Insights

Abstract

The Indian nuclear industry provides 2% of the electricity generated in India today. Other than its growing importance as a source of clean base load electricity in the clean energy transition as a complement to growing shares of variable renewables in India’s energy mix, it can continue to remain relevant and play a vital role in India in the years to come by suitably re-inventing itself to provide a variety of value added products and services to the nation, beyond merely supplying electricity to the power grids. This is extremely important considering the rapid rise of renewable energy harnessing systems in India, with which the Indian nuclear power sector so far has not kept pace because of its own intrinsic features and stringent regulatory requirements. This study attempts to collect and present a set of realistic ideas about some possible steps to be taken to re-imagine the nuclear industry and enable it to contribute even more to nation building. This will involve collective and co-ordinated efforts from all the units of the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India as well as other ministries and departments at the state and central levels.