India needs to wait for few decades to use thorium in reactor

"Using thorium as the base for reactors will take time. We have to wait a few decades to make it possible," Atomic Energy Commission Chairman R K Sinha said.

While the first atomic power station at Tarapur was designed, constructed and commissioned by a US company on a turn-key basis, the second nuclear power station in Rajasthan was taken up as a joint Indo-Canadian venture.

Subsequent to the unilateral action by Canada to terminate the cooperation agreement, completion of the second unit at Rajasthan was accomplished indigenously, Sinha said on the sidelines of the graduating ceremony of National Institute of Science Education and Research (NISER) here.

The third nuclear power station at Chennai was set up entirely by Indian engineers and scientists.

"This is sufficient to claim that country is self-reliant in nuclear technology," the AEC chairman said.

Replying a question on the possible use of thorium as the base for the nuclear reactors, he said the country needs to wait.

"We have designed a reactor," he said.

On opposition to nuclear installations, Sinha said, "This is a passing phenomenon. This will happen as people have both expectations and apprehensions over nuclear projects." (More)