DAE to make task force report public soon

RK Sinha says task force has studied liability factor, come out with model by conducting probabilistic safety analysis

Amid concerns raised by nuclear component manufactures and suppliers over India’s civil nuclear liability regime, the Department of Atomic Energy has received a report prepared by a four-member task force on probability safety assessment.

On Friday, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman R K Sinha told Business Standard the task force led by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) scientist P V Varde had recently given its report. He added the report had been validated by another committee comprising officials from BARC, the Nuclear Power Corporation and the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research.Sinha said the task force report would be made public soon.

He added the task force had studied the liability factor and come out with a model by conducting a probabilistic safety analysis.

The model had assessed probabilities of a particular component or of a system to fail in a manner that could lead to an accident. Based on this model, the quantum of liability would be worked out.

Completion of the exercise by the task force comes at a time when foreign suppliers are concerned the civil nuclear liability law disproportionately burdens sellers of nuclear technology with compensation payments in the case of an accident.

They say India’s liability law is not consistent with international nuclear policies.

Sinha said the insurance premium would be based on the model suggested by the task force. He hoped this would allay fears of manufacturers and suppliers.

Sinha said at a presentation at the nuclear conference next week, S A Bhardwaj, former director (technical), Nuclear Power Corporation, would speak at length on the model envisaged by the task force.

Last week, Planning Commission Deputy Chairman Montek Singh Ahluwalia had indicated domestic plant operators could limit the amount, as well as duration, of the liability that accrued to foreign suppliers.