India has taken steps to ensure safety of n-plants: Banerjee

New Delhi, Sep 21 (PTI) Amid concerns over nuclear safety
in the aftermath of the Fukushima incident, India Wednesday
said it has taken important steps to assess
"beyond-design-basis" accident conditions of atomic power
plants, results of which are available to global scrutiny.
In the backdrop of protests in Kudankulam and Jaitapur,
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Srikumar Banerjee said
scientists had also revisited designs of future nuclear
reactors to ensure that they conform to tests of robustness
against earthquakes, flooding and extended station blackout.
"A scaled down reactor primary containment test-model of
the 540 MWe PHWR, with extensive instrumentation is being
subjected to a series of tests leading up to its ultimate
failure," Banerjee said addressing the 55th General Conference
of the IAEA in Vienna, Austria.
He said the results of the tests were being analysed as
an International Round Robin exercise involving fifteen
participants from various countries.
"This is one of the largest containment test facility in
the world," Banerjee added.
Recently, some parts of the country have witnessed
protests against under-construction and planned nuclear plants
mainly over issues concerning their safety, particularly in
the post-Fukushima scenario.
Banerjee said the design of the Advanced Heavy Water
Reactor was also revisited to understand and confirm its
robustness against events such as earthquake, flooding and
extended station blackout.
Referring to its rich experience in the entire gamut of
nuclear power plants, Banerjee said India was looking forward
to exporting its proven small and medium sized reactors -- the
Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs).
"We possess all technologies and infrastructure relevant
to small and medium sized PHWRs of 220 MWe, 540 MWe and 700
MWe capacities, which would be a safe, proven and cost-
effective option for countries with small grids planning to
start their nuclear power programme," he said.
Indian PHWRs have a very competitive capital cost and
offer very low unit energy tariff, Banerjee said adding that
the Indian nuclear power sector has registered over 345
reactor years of safe operation.
He said India accorded highest priority to ensure safety
of atomic plants while implementing her nuclear programme.
Noting that safety reviews were carried out at nuclear
plant sites across the country post-Fukushima, Banerjee said
the results of the exercise have been made public as mandated
by the government.
A Bill to confer statutory status to the national safety
regulatory authority was introduced in Parliament, he said.
Banerjee said India will also invite IAEA missions --
Operational Safety Review Team and Integrated Regulatory
Review Service for peer review of safety of nuclear power
plant, and of the regulatory system, respectively.
He made a strong pitch for examining the data from
Chernobyl and Fukushima accidents and factor the same while
establishing new guidelines for intervention limits for
emergency response.
"India is committed to fulfill all its obligations and
looks forward to participating in reviewing these for
effective implementation," Banerjee said.