Obama clears construction of nuclear plant in US

After 30 years of moratorium on nuclear power plants in USA, President Obama cleared construction of two 1,100 MW nuclear reactors in America. The President said that the plants would reduce carbon pollution by 16 million tones per year. This is a good move by the Nobel Prize winner and would give a big boost to the nuclear industry world-over. His intension seems to reduce GHG emissions in the years to come. India and China also should ensure that use of fossil fuels for energy should be reduced to bare minimum.

There is some apprehension that the developed countries are not supporting whole-heartedly the development of renewable energy resources such as solar, wind and geo-thermal which will drastically reduce the emissions of Greenhouse gases. These hi-tech resources should be made available to the developing countries, at a discount so that future emission cut requirements do not come in the way of development in these countries.

Isotopes of Hydrogen – Tritium is radioactive substance

Hydrogen (H) is the simplest atom (atomic number 1), is abundant, and has 1 protons and no neutrons. Two normal hydrogen atoms when combined with an oxygen atom create an ordinary (light) water molecule, or H2O. Every one knows about the uses of water.

Deuterium is another isotope of hydrogen with atomic mass of 2 (1 proton + 1 neutron). Unlike tritium, Deuterium is not radioactive. Two deuterium atoms combine with an oxygen atom to create Deuterium Oxide (D2O) or heavy water. Deuterium occurs naturally, for every 7,000 molecules of ordinary “light” water, there is one molecule of “heavy” water; approximately 100000 liters of ordinary water are needed to produce a single liter of pure heavy water. It is a very expensive procedure. India has mastered the heavy water production technology. Indian PHWR reactors use the heavy water (D2O) as the moderator and coolant.

Tritium is a radioactive form or isotope of hydrogen with atomic mass of 3 units (1 proton + 2 neutrons), with a radioactive half-life of 12.3 years and a biological half-life (the amount of time the body requires to excrete one half of the tritium absorbed) of about 10 days. Tritium decays to emit beta radiation of very low energy of 18.6 keV (kilo electron volt, maximum). The energy of tritium is not enough to penetrate human skin. Tritium is one of the least harmful radioactive substances. Comparatively, highly soluble Tritiated water is more harmful than tritium gas. The Annual Limit of Intake for tritiated water is 1 Giga Bq (Bq is the unit of activity; 1 Bq is the amount of radioactive material which decays at the rate of 1 disintegration per second). The decay product of tritium is 3He, an isotope of Helium, a non-radioactive noble gas.

Less than 1% of tritium occurs naturally (e.g. through the interaction of cosmic rays with molecules of certain elements in the upper atmosphere. Most of tritium is man made; fallout from thermonuclear weapons testing, begun in the 1940s, is a source of tritium in the global environment; nuclear power reactors, particularly of Indian type (PHWRs), are also a large source of tritium. Deuterium atom absorbs one more neutron in the nuclear reactor to form Tritium.

Tritium is used commercially as a light source in flares, emergency lights, exit signs and luminous dials (watches and clocks); tritium is also an essential fuel for experimental nuclear “fusion” and has been used for nuclear weapons production.

Indian Nuclear Liability Bill

The Indian Cabinet has cleared the above Bill and it is on the way through Rajya Sabha. The Bill is of considerable interest for American business in Indian nuclear power sector. The clearance of the Bill is also essential for any nuclear commerce with the countries of Nuclear Supplier’s Group. As of now, it looks as if US business in Indian nuclear sector is far behind Russia and France.

The importance content of the Bill is that it provides a cap of 2,500 Crore by way of damages in the event of any nuclear related accident occurring in India, and the government will facilitate the compensation through Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). The responsibility for paying the damages will be on the operator of the reactor rather than on the supplier and builder of the reactor. This clause will enable the Nuclear Suppliers Group nations to get away without any responsibility for the accident and without paying anything! The probability of such incidents/accidents occurring is now considerably increased in view of the enhanced terrorist activities around the globe.

In should known that Rs.2500 Cr liability is just nothing to compensate for the property loss, for the management of the exposed personnel (both occupational and public) and implementation of very expensive decontamination procedures of large contaminated areas around the site. The liability needs to be enhanced by 10 times.

“Nuclear” dirty-linen washing is over

It is silence now in the controversy about the test yield of thermonuclear device in 1998 by India. K Santhanam, a long-retired DRDO scientist has finally achieved what he wanted by ensuring Anil Kakodkar is retired from the post of Chairman, AEC, with a distinguished record of achieving so many “firsts” in Indian nuclear scenario.

However, it is time that highest authority of the land must ensure that the issues (if any) between DRDO and DAE be sorted so that the national security should never be compromised due to the competition and public outbursts by the two very important national defence laboratories.