Perhaps the time has come for India to look at nuclear power, along with hydropower, in its quest for energy security. Look at emerging trends in power sources the world over.

The French have established themselves as leaders in atomic power as a source of electricity. Following the oil price explosion of the Seventies, the French instituted a systematic programme of establishing its nuclear resources. They are now in a position to produce 75 per cent of their power from nuclear sources and are the largest exporters of electric power in Europe. Their energy is relatively cheap as well.

Besides France, a number of countries in Europe derive a sizeable proportion of their power from nuclear sources. For example, Belgium gets 60 per cent of its power from nuclear energy; Switzerland, 41 per cent; Germany, 32 per cent; and Britain, 27 per cent. The United States of America draws 20 per cent of its power from nuclear plants. India with 1 per cent, China with 0.5 per cent and Brazil with 1 per cent bring up the rear with regard to the share of nuclear energy in its total power generation.

Two years ago, George W. Bush initiated a new slant in American power policy when he introduced tax incentives for nuclear power installations. This was a significant development considering the long neglect of nuclear power after the Three Mile Island disaster.

India’s nuclear power intiatives got a boost in the Eighties, when Rajiv Gandhi invited Russian collaborators in building the Koodangulam nuclear power station. He had felt that the Russian help could see the Indians through the rigours of a safety regime, besides being on comparatively easy financial terms. Experts convinced him that the lessons of Chernobyl had been learnt by the nuclear power establishment in the Soviet Union. Rajiv Gandhi also lent his support to the establishment of the Nuclear Power Corporation, separate from but linked closely to the Atomic Energy Commission. That initiative needs to be taken up afresh now.

Notably, China has recently unveiled a new initiative in nuclear energy by inviting international bids for building atomic power plants. The order is for an 8 gigawatt plant worth $ 30 billion, according to media reports. China must have calculated that since nuclear plant manufacturers in Europe and the US were starved of orders, they would jump at the prospect of a fresh sale of equipment. Already, the leading French nuclear power station maker is canvassing for orders globally. So are the Germans and the Americans. This is, thus, the right time to secure international financial, technical and political support for nuclear power not only for China but also for India.

The need to diversify our sources of power cannot be denied any longer, especially in the context of the increasing crude oil prices. Evidently, the crude oil reserves of the world have already reached their peak. The pace of new discoveries is not keeping up with the growth in demand. Even the existing oil sources are constrained by political uncertainty and threat of terrorist attacks, as in Saudi Arabia. The recent intransigence by the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries with regard to lifting the ceiling on supplies also shows that the era of cheap oil is over. There is, thus, need to develop alternative sources of energy. Coal is, of course, an obvious choice, but its use is subject to the dangers of global warming and the penalties implicit in the Kyoto Protocol.

There are, of course, problems of resorting to nuclear power. First, the initial investments are high, especially, if we resort to imports of equipment. But, they can be reduced by relying, for a substantial part, on the outsourcing of procurement to Indian equipment manufacturers, like BHEL. After all, such co-production arrangements are not uncommon these days. Foreign equipment suppliers are also willing to enter into such pacts.

Critics of nuclear power also point to problems like nuclear waste disposal. But this is not insurmountable as the French and Germans have shown. That apart, the fear of terrorist strikes remains. The possible access to fissile materials by international terrorists has often been discussed with regard to future nuclear power expansion. The global experience so far has been that given proper safeguards and transparent management, such threats can be overcome.

The question of safeguards with respect to the nuclear proliferation treaty is, no doubt, a tricky one. China has shown the way by boldly bidding for power equipment from abroad. The incentive of equipment orders will definitely temper the opposition of existing big players in the nuclear arena to India’s access to technology. Here again, deft diplomacy can be a way out.

The United Progressive Alliance’s common minimum programme has a reference to the need to initiate a study on energy security with special reference to oil. The document, however, does not focus on nuclear power — apparently for tactical reasons.

In this regard, India also needs to look at other sources of power, like hydel and solar. There is great potential in the Himalayan region for hydel energy, which, if exploited, can reduce the power shortage not only in north India but also in Nepal and Bhutan.

In particular, the much-investigated-but-little-acted-upon projects at Karnali and Pancheswar must be revived. These projects can add 10,000 megawatt of power to the regional grid. We have for long been under the impression that China would not touch these projects given the difficulties of transmitting the power to China. But with the links between China, Tibet and Nepal opening up, transmission lines may be less than a decade away. Given Chinese ingenuity and willingness to take risks, India has to grab the chance before it is too late.

Work on these projects may be revived by the formation of an Indo-Himalayan Power Development Corporation, which can raise the finances. The model can be based on what Indira Gandhi offered Bhutan in the case of Chuka. The power project was developed at India’s cost, but the proceeds from the sale of power were generously given to Bhutan. We can do the same in the case of the Nepal projects — the proceeds of the sale of power could be a source of foreign exchange income for Nepal.

There are, of course, many other options to explore, such as the fast-breeder reactor being tried out at Kalpakkam. But, these are in the realm of the future.

There is also a need to invest in research and development on solar power so that we may overcome the difficulties in utilizing existing technologies and also modernize them. Much work remains to be done in this area. The recipient of a large amount of solar energy, India must become a pioneer in the conversion of solar energy to electric power.

The mandarins in the Planning Commission, and the Union petroleum and power ministries must turn their attention to this issue. This would mean reallocating funds and refashioning political strategies when dealing with neighbours and the nuclear powers. But, that’s all part of the energy game.