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Page added on April 2, 2015
India Plans To Build Fusion Reactor
India has decided to set up a mini nuclear-fusion reactor in an attempt to boost its energy production. The Indian government’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has already cleared the project, with a senior DAE official saying that the proposed move will strengthen India’s position as one of the seven partner countries in the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) – the world’s biggest energy research project coming up in the French city of Cadarche.
In Vadodara, ITER-India’s Project Director Shishir Deshpande recently said: “Presently, our contribution as one of the seven partners in the ITER project in France is 10%. The knowledge that we gain will be used to set up our own demonstrator reactors at home.” The ‘Times of India’ daily quoted Deshpande as saying: “We will begin by setting up an experimental version of the Cadarche ITER reactor here in India.”
Deshpande made the comment after reviewing the progress made by Indian companies involved in the project. Director (Central Engineering and Plant) of ITER Dr Sergio Orlandi and Deputy Director General Dr Remmelt Haange also reviewed the progress. They welcomed the Narendra Modi government’s decision to sanction INR 25,000 million for implementing the project.
Currently, all the Indian nuclear plants are based on fission. However, producing electricity through fusion will be much cheaper and safer. As a result, ITER-India – a division of the Gandhinagar-based Institute of Plasma Research – is planning to set up the reactor in the western Indian province of Gujarat. Deshpande believes that successful implementation of the project will help India to execute the French project in the next 10 years jointly with the EU, China, Japan, South Korea, Russia and the US. The Cadarche project is scheduled to be commissioned by 2024.
Meanwhile, India is fully prepared to sign a commercial nuclear pact with Canada during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming three-day visit to Ottawa. On the basis of this pact, India will receive Canadian fuel for its existing nuclear power plants. New Delhi and Ottawa had signed a civilian nuclear co-operation accord in 2010 before making an administrative arrangement in this regard in 2012. Since then, Cameco – Canada’s principal uranium producer – has been holding commercial talks with Indian companies for supplying uranium to fuel nuclear power plants in the South Asian nation.
Admitting that nuclear power plants in India are facing acute uranium shortage, the diplomatic sources have said that two countries could soon conclude negotiations and strike a deal during Modi’s April 14-16 visit to Canada. The Indian premier recently said on Facebook: “We look forward to resuming our civil nuclear energy co-operation with Canada, especially for sourcing uranium fuel for our nuclear power plants.” Modi recalled that Canada was the first country to have signed a civil nuclear co-operation deal with India after New Delhi secured the waiver from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) in 2008. Canada, which has huge uranium reserves, encouraged the NSG to provide a clean waiver to India and showed interest in re-entering the Indian nuclear market.
25 Comments on "India Plans To Build Fusion Reactor"
Plantagenet on Thu, 2nd Apr 2015 6:43 pm
Don’t forget that Obama and Modi signed an agreement for the US to provide money and technical expertise to help grow the Indian nuclear program.
http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2015/01/25/obama-india-arrival/22307343/
tahoe1780 on Thu, 2nd Apr 2015 7:38 pm
Fusion? Really?? Note that plant shown is a fission one. They would be better served with a thorium one. http://www.extremetech.com/extreme/150551-the-500mw-molten-salt-nuclear-reactor-safe-half-the-price-of-light-water-and-shipped-to-order
http://www.examiner.com/article/the-transmutation-of-nuclear-power-into-21st-century-green-energy
Makati1 on Thu, 2nd Apr 2015 8:05 pm
Late April Fool’s joke or just another example of mass stupidity? Did the other huge multi-multi-billion dollar, “in 5 years” or forever, fusion project succeed and become a viable commercial product and didn’t get into the news?
I would think that India would have better use for billions of dollars than to waste it hoping for viable fusion energy in the next 9 years (2014). India will probably not exist as a country by then, at the present rate of decay. We shall see.
HARM on Thu, 2nd Apr 2015 10:58 pm
How does India “plan” to build something that does not yet exist anywhere on earth (an energy net-positive self-sustaining fusion reactor)? Even the US and Europe haven’t managed to pull that one off yet. I wish them luck though. With their decrepit grid and horrendous overpopulation, they could sure use it.
Rajiv on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 12:02 am
Decades in the making, a huge experimental nuclear fusion reactor in India, could be the site of breakthroughs that will provide limitless, clean energy and secure the planet’s future while we are having dozens of deals around? Well, then we are screwed either way … better to have renewable energy in my opinion.
Speculawyer on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 12:59 am
Is this an April Fools story? As far as I know, no one yet knows how to build a fusion reactor that can generate power reliably.
Speculawyer on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 1:22 am
Actually, I get my power from a fusion reactor. But it is a bit dangerous so I keep it 93 million miles away and just tap into its power from afar.
Natasha on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 1:26 am
India started its nuclear program under ‘Atoms for Peace’ which gradually turns into nuclear weapons program. At present, India is involved with many countries primarily Australia and France to export uranium to the country. Interestingly, India has reservoirs of uranium too. There is a big question that India will have surplus amount of yellow cakes which can be used for weaponization. This fusion reactor would lead towards uranium enrichment which makes strong doubts to be used for building weapons. There is a very thin line between uranium used for power generation and weapons upgradation. India can contribute towards further more nuclearization which is no doubt alarming for all of us.
Briella on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 2:17 am
India’s immeasurable efforts for making its nuclear wishes fulfilled is easily seen and observable. In its quest for making its tummy full with nuclear material and yellow cakes, it has totally forgotten the unrepairable consequences which can have on the regional security environment. India tiltation towards developing fusion reactor structure is actually a step towards weapons up-gradation and also a step towards dragging the already volatile region towards arms race.
Shyam B on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 6:12 am
If any country is destabilizing the world is United States. next would be China. USA is probably a single country that is spreading war in every corner of the world. Its nuclear missiles are traveling all over the world and threatening half of the countries of the world. When did USA and EU did anything for peace in the world? Peace in South Asia is because of India. India has not made a new nuclear bomb in a decade. India is not trying to nuclearize the region, it is Pakistan and China. The posts here clearly show how ignorant people are. Fusion energy is the energy of the future. I am glad that India is investing money in that research as opposed to USA investing $4 trillion in spreading war around the world.
Yogeshu on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 7:18 am
How come that when I try to post this important news on my Facebook, a picture of boy & girl (instead of nuclear reactor) appears? I decided not to post on Facebook now.
kunwar singh on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 9:27 am
Well done run silent run deep.
flot the stock india dispara will join.
let it be transparent
FredZ on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 9:33 am
Wow, 11 comments and not a single mention yet of “LENR” or “cold fusion.” Maybe the LENR crazies are still recoverng from their national holiday, April Fools’ Day.
India can’t even run their fission power plants well. They have some of the lowest capacity factors in the world. Who seriously believes India will be the first country with a working fusion reactor?
Rahul on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 9:38 am
India remains developing its nuclear program irrespective of growing nuclear accidents. The Indian Nuclear Power Industry remains shrouded in secrecy and opacity refusing to reveal details on safety. The nuclear power generation is controlled by a government entity NPCIL which remains cloaked in secrecy. Details about leakages and accidents are not forthcoming and not transparent. 2 accidents were reported in recent days but the causes of the leakage again have not been explained.
Billybob1 on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 9:45 am
The cheaper or perhaps cheapest solution would be to stop reproducing, but there’s no fun in that idea, only practicality..
satyananda on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 10:05 am
India needed population control in a drastic manner,but to do that India need a dictatorship for the interested of India and the world..I am also worried about the storing of nuclear waste,I just wish we did not have to use nuclear energy,but I guess we have no choice…
Robert on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 10:30 am
Fukushima precipitated the global nuclear industry’s worst-ever credibility crisis. With increasingly adverse public opinion, and rising reactor costs (which have tripled over a decade), it’ll probably go into terminal decline. Jeff Immelt of General Electric, one of the world’s largest atomic suppliers, says nuclear power is “really hard to justify”.
gladiator on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 10:55 am
Either one should be an expert or complete illiterate. People stop spreading negativity, first of all this is called controlled fusion. India already has fusion weapons (hydrogen bomb). Secondly controlled fusion has nothing to do with weapons grade uranium or plutonium. To produce energy in fusion reaction you need elements lighter than iron, best option is hydrogen. Second fusion byproducts are not dangerous as nuclear waste from fission. Fusion of hydrogen creates helium 4, which our medical industry needs a lot. Right now controlled fusion is possible but it is energy -ve. Many countries have fusion reactors they are not commercial though. Only problem is to control fusion we have to spend more energy than produced. So this reactor will help india study how to control fusion with end result of energy positive. Fusion can reduce our carbon and nuclear foot print by 80%
Bob Owens on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 4:45 pm
This is either an April Fool’s story or a complete waste of money, time, energy, talent, etc. It isn’t enough to pay 10% of ITER’s cost, apparently.
Makati1 on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 6:53 pm
Bob, the world is full of fools who are wasting their resources on dreams. India obviously has a lot of them, but most are in the West. World War is the only thing that will cull the herd in sufficient numbers to give us a chance to survive the bottleneck…if it doesn’t go nuclear.
Sean on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 8:31 pm
“However, producing electricity through fusion will be much cheaper and safer.”
Huh? How is it cheaper when the break even point for sustained reactions has not been demonstarted? Engineering techniques will take decades for fusion generators to match fission generator monitary efficientcy
Davy on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 9:05 pm
Makster, most of the herd cull will be in Asia.
arun basu on Fri, 3rd Apr 2015 10:06 pm
This International Proejct has a good chance to succeed. Pl. do not forget that a fanous private firm in USA –Lockheed Martin — has already built a small-scale demo “Fusion” plant. You can search the web to read the details.
Kenz300 on Sun, 5th Apr 2015 12:49 am
The cost to clean up and store the nuclear waste at Chernobyl and Fukishima is enormous. Those disasters continue today with no end in sight. The technology to clean up the sites does not exist.
Chernobyl’s new shell – YouTube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJSpDAwEtjA&spfreload=10
Apneaman on Sun, 5th Apr 2015 2:10 am
Hey Kenz! What about cleaning up this site and the others like it? Seems like your green dreams are not so green after all. All created with fossil fuels from mining to manufacturing to shipping it 5000 miles to the privileged across the sea. Well it’s kinda a NIMBY thing isn’t it? Better that the toxic mess is in the backyard of those dirty brown over-breeders than yours. What’s solar at – globally? 1%? 2%? Gonna be one awful fucking mess scaling that up for the global 1%ers (us).
The dystopian lake filled by the world’s tech lust
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20150402-the-worst-place-on-earth