Dr. Anil Kakodkar, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, stressed that lower cost of energy is key to the growth of the economy, and India should focus on developing disruptive technologies to keep the cost competitive and meet the goal of decarbonisation by year 2050, at a talk on August 25, 2021.
He said that clean energy supply would increase 120 to 140 times, and this increase has to come primarily through solar, wind, and nuclear. Share of electricity would go up primarily for e-mobility.
He also said surplus biomass can be converted to hydrogen or hydrogen substitutes for use in industry and transportation. Carbon Capture and Utilisation (CCU) is inevitable for transition to low carbon economy.
Mr. Kakodlar talked about the following areas:
- Rapid deployment of pressurized heavy water reactors which are indigenous, very competitive, and high performance,
- Strategies for deployment of light water reactors and for cogeneration of hydrogen.
- Hydrogen and electric mobility,
- Conversion of surplus agricultural residue, solar, wind, and nuclear energy to hydrogen or hydrocarbons, non-fossil heating,
- Refrigeration and conversion of coal to fluid fuel to minimise energy import bill.
