Rise of Nu-Power

Nuclear power's revival is most visible in America where power companies are preparing to flood the Nuclear Regulatory Commission with applications to build new plants. Finland is building a reactor, which is having the worlds largest capacity and british government is preparing the way for new planning regulations.

In india also there is the following breeze of activity other than the forthcoming INDO-US Nuclear Cooperation: These power plants are under construction in India.

• Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 5 & 6 - 2 X 220 MWe Capacity
• Kudankulam Atomic Power Project - 2 X 1000 MWe Capacity
• Kaiga Atomic Power Project 4 - 1 X 220 MWe Capacity

Also there is going to be an influx of new capacity and new construction as and when government allows private sector in to the arena....

Companies like L&T, GE, NTPC, Tata Power, Seimens, Areva T&D, ABB and many others are in the pipeline to enter this sector once it is libralized....

Current status of the nuclear industry globally:

1. 439 nuclear power plants in operation with a total net installed capacity of 371.671 GW(e)
2. 5 nuclear power plants in long term shutdown
3. 30 nuclear power plants under construction
   
   Advantages of Nuclear Energy:
   
   1. Nuclear energy is cleaner than oil.
   2. Nuclear energy is more secure than gas.
   3. Nuclear energy is more reliable than wind.
   4. Nuclear power stations are very cheap to run.
   
   Challenges of Nuclear Energy:
   
   1. Nuclear energy involves political risk.
   2. There is a risk of terrorist attack for stealing the nuclear fuel for preparing weapons.
   3. Chances of weapons proliferation.
   4. Nuclear reactors are hugely expensive to build.
   
   What is needed to be done ?
   
   1. Nuclear energysources do indeed deserve a hand from governments.
   2. Governments and nuclear industry are doing their best to limit the risks mentioned before and such risks are small enough to be worth taking in the interests of cheap clean energy...