Seoul: With India set to expand nuclear energy generation to 62,000 MW by 2032, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said on March 27 the highest standards of safety and security would be followed to restore public faith in nuclear energy, particularly after last year’s Fukushima disaster.
“We are in the process of expanding our nuclear energy generation to 62,000 MW by 2032. We are taking forward our three-stage nuclear program based on a closed fuel cycle, with new safety features and proliferation-resistant technologies,” Manmohan Singh said while addressing the plenary of the two-day Nuclear Security Summit that concluded here on March 27.
“We have undertaken comprehensive reviews of nuclear safety measures at our nuclear facilities. India has invited the Operational Safety Review Teams of the IAEA to assist in its own safety reviews and audit. Nuclear safety evaluations are being put in the public domain to enhance transparency and boost public confidence. We are also in the process of setting up a statutory, independent and auto-nomous Nuclear Safety Regulatory Authority. We are strengthening emergency preparedness and response to nuclear accidents,” Man-mohan Singh said.
Noting that India fully shares global concerns on nuclear terrorism and clandestine proliferation, which continues to pose serious threats to international security, Man-mohan Singh said: “At the same time, given India’s growing energy demands, we see nuclear energy as an essential component of our energy mix.”
“Strengthening nuclear security, therefore, assists India’s objective of promoting a safe and secure expansion of civil nuclear energy. We must continue to harness the numerous developmental benefits that nuclear science and technology offer, especially for developing countries,” the Prime Minister added.