Nuclear energy has the potential to meet India's energy needs and keep carbon dioxide emissions at the lowest possible level, Indo-Asian News Service (IANS) reported Wednesday, quoting a senior official as saying.

Addressing a convocation in central Indian city of Ranchi, chairman of the Indian Atomic Energy Commission Anil Kakodar said Wednesday, "India is working for nuclear renaissance. We have succeeded in translating nuclear program through Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) which is on par or better than global benchmarks."

Kakodar expressed concern over the changing climate due to emission of carbon dioxide. "Nuclear energy will be inevitable when global search for ways to reduce carbondioxide emission takes place," IANS quoted him as saying.

He said India's modest resources and best energy potential of Thorium deposits had necessitated the adoption of three-stage nuclear power program.

First stage is on commercial domain, that is PHWR. India will similarly translate research and development to commercial scale exploitation for the second and third stages as well.

IANS further quoted him as saying: "As a matter of fact, a beginning of commercial activity with the second stage has already been made as the construction of the 500 megawatt energy prototype fast breeder reactor is already in progress. The fast breeder reactor does not need further mining of uranium and enables recycle of uranium that has already been used in PHWR."

Source: Xinhua