Hindustan Times (India): Nuclear growth in India has been slow: report

Nuclear growth in India has been slow: report

HT Correspondent , Hindustan Times, New Delhi, August 05, 2013 First Published: 01:27 IST(5/8/2013) | Last Updated: 01:29 IST(5/8/2013)

The global electricity generation from nuclear plants dropped by 7% in 2012, adding to the record drop of 4% in 2011, just after the Fukushima incident, according to the World Nuclear Industry Status Report 2013 released last month. The report compiled by international experts warns that nuclear progress in India has been tremendously slow because of consistent delays in projects and the nuclear share of the country has not grown over the past ten years.

Mycle Schneider, project coordinator and lead author of the report told HT: “India has never generated more power from nuclear plants than in 2012. However, the amount remains very small. Modern renewables—wind, solar, biomass—together supplied 5.5% of India’s power outpacing nuclear’s 3.6% contribution in fiscal year 2011–2012.”

Listing the other roadblocks Mycle said: “The construction projects in Kudankulam had started twelve years ago. While there are in total seven reactors under construction and precise costing figures are not publicly available, it is clear that India now invests a lot more in renewables than in nuclear power plants.”