Agenda Item 3: Nuclear Technology Review - 2019

INTERNATIONAL ATOMIC ENERGY AGENCY

BOARD OF GOVERNORS’ MEETINGS

(March 4 - 8, 2019)

Agenda Item 3: Nuclear Technology Review - 2019

Statement by The Governor For India

Ambassador H.E Ms. Renu Pall

Madam Chair,

We associate ourselves with the statement delivered by the distinguished Ambassador of Egypt on behalf of G-77 and China.

At the outset India could like to refer to the report by the intergovernmental panel on climate change as referred in the NTR-2019. The report presents a scenario for limiting the global temperature increase to 1.5 degree Celsius above the preindustrial level, and presents various emission pathways, and projects the need for substantial expansion of nuclear power for climate change mitigation for achieving this target. This report substantiates the views expressed by delegation of India on several occasions in the Board that nuclear power has to play a significant role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions, fighting climate change and in realization of the SDGs. The global energy demands will continue to grow, and in order to ensure sustainable low-carbon energy generation, nuclear power will remain a credible option and an important component of future growth strategies of many countries.

India pursues a low-carbon growth model and is fully committed to the Paris Agreement. As part of our overall energy security and clean energy policy, India plans for rapid expansion of nuclear power generation capacity over the next decades.

India has decided to construct additional 10 Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors in fleet mode and also 2 light water reactors. This will increase the capacity to over 22,000 MWe by the end of next decade.  

Nuclear Power Plant is one of the most reliable and stable based load energy source. On an average nuclear power plants demonstrate very high availability and capacity factors for their performance that makes them an important energy source. In this regard, it is my pleasure to inform the Board that Unit-1 of Kaiga Atomic power plant clocked 962 days of nonstop continuous run setting a new record amongst all types of Nuclear Power reactors in the world.  

India also added to its research reactors fleet, an upgraded pool type, 2 MW Research Reactor (Apsara-U), constructed indigenously at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, which became operational in September 2018. This Reactor is designed to produce a large variety of Isotope and serve the nuclear physicists, material scientists and reactor designers providing state of art facilities.

Madam Chair,

India recognizes multiple options for long term solutions to the intermediate and high level radioactive wastes. India’s programmes range from partitioning and transmutation as well as geological disposal. In this regard, India hosted the IAEA technical meeting on Global Progress in Developing Geological Disposal Solutions (Underground Research Facilities Network for Geological Disposal) at Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership in May 2018.

India looks forward to IAEA’s continued leadership for fostering safe, secure and sustainable use of nuclear energy in the future. We will continue to support IAEA in these endeavors.

With these comments, Madam Chair, we take note of Nuclear Technology Review 2019 as contained in the document GOV/2019/4.

Thank you