ID :
46825
Sat, 02/21/2009 - 19:48
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://www.oananews.org//node/46825
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DAE pulled up for denying country full benefits of nuke power
New Delhi, Feb 21 (PTI) India's Department of Atomic
Energy (DAE) has been pulled up by the CAG for failing to
exploit the country's uranium resources for running atomic
power plants and denying the nation "full benefits" of nuclear
energy valued at nearly Rs 6,000 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) lashed out at
the DAE for basing the fuel needs for its 15 Pressurised Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR) on availability of uranium rather than
actual demand for running the atomic power units at maximum
capacity.
"... formal demand on nuclear fuel cycle was based more
on the availability of uranium rather than on the requirement
of the fuel for the PHWRs at its maximum capacity, to enable
it to generate optimum nuclear power," the CAG said.
The auditor noted that though nuclear power plants
operated with greater efficiency in 1999-2003 at 80 per cent
of installed capacity, power generation dipped significantly
as the number of reactors increased leading to fuel mismatch.
Thereafter, due to constraints in fuel supplies, the
average capacity factors of PHWRs as a whole were consistently
brought down from 80 per cent in 2002-03 to 72, 67, 64, and 50
per cent respectively during 2003-08.
"This had resulted in the PHWRs operating at lower
capacity and denying the nation, the full benefits of clean
nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units
corresponding to Rs 5986 crore calculated at an average tariff
of Rs 2.74 per unit," the CAG said.
The DAE also told the auditors that though nuclear
reactors were being constructed fast currently, development of
uranium mines had got delayed primarily due to "factors
external to DAE."
The Department said that government was putting in "best
efforts" to open new mines, initiatives that are facing law
and order issues, and requisite clearances from the
environment and forests departments.
The explanation of the DAE did not find favour with the
CAG, which termed the "best efforts" as "belated" and which
have not yielded the desired results.
"The DAE, as the implementing department of the
Government of India for the Nuclear Power Programme, needs to
effectively address these factors referred by them as being
external to them," it said.
The CAG also indicted the DAE for seeking approval of
four new PHWR despite having knowledge that there was an
impending shortage of uranium fuel.
"DAE had not linked or ensured availability of fuel to
fully address the needs of PHWR programme upto 2020. Inspite
of knowledge of an impending shortage of uranium fuel, DAE
went ahead and sought approval for four new PHWRs at the cost
of Rs 6,354 crore," it said.
Terming this a "significant deficiency" in the
planning process, the auditor said that the DAE should have
addressed the issue at the time of planning for these new
reactors. PTI SKU
DEP
Energy (DAE) has been pulled up by the CAG for failing to
exploit the country's uranium resources for running atomic
power plants and denying the nation "full benefits" of nuclear
energy valued at nearly Rs 6,000 crore.
The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) lashed out at
the DAE for basing the fuel needs for its 15 Pressurised Heavy
Water Reactors (PHWR) on availability of uranium rather than
actual demand for running the atomic power units at maximum
capacity.
"... formal demand on nuclear fuel cycle was based more
on the availability of uranium rather than on the requirement
of the fuel for the PHWRs at its maximum capacity, to enable
it to generate optimum nuclear power," the CAG said.
The auditor noted that though nuclear power plants
operated with greater efficiency in 1999-2003 at 80 per cent
of installed capacity, power generation dipped significantly
as the number of reactors increased leading to fuel mismatch.
Thereafter, due to constraints in fuel supplies, the
average capacity factors of PHWRs as a whole were consistently
brought down from 80 per cent in 2002-03 to 72, 67, 64, and 50
per cent respectively during 2003-08.
"This had resulted in the PHWRs operating at lower
capacity and denying the nation, the full benefits of clean
nuclear energy to the extent of 21,845 million units
corresponding to Rs 5986 crore calculated at an average tariff
of Rs 2.74 per unit," the CAG said.
The DAE also told the auditors that though nuclear
reactors were being constructed fast currently, development of
uranium mines had got delayed primarily due to "factors
external to DAE."
The Department said that government was putting in "best
efforts" to open new mines, initiatives that are facing law
and order issues, and requisite clearances from the
environment and forests departments.
The explanation of the DAE did not find favour with the
CAG, which termed the "best efforts" as "belated" and which
have not yielded the desired results.
"The DAE, as the implementing department of the
Government of India for the Nuclear Power Programme, needs to
effectively address these factors referred by them as being
external to them," it said.
The CAG also indicted the DAE for seeking approval of
four new PHWR despite having knowledge that there was an
impending shortage of uranium fuel.
"DAE had not linked or ensured availability of fuel to
fully address the needs of PHWR programme upto 2020. Inspite
of knowledge of an impending shortage of uranium fuel, DAE
went ahead and sought approval for four new PHWRs at the cost
of Rs 6,354 crore," it said.
Terming this a "significant deficiency" in the
planning process, the auditor said that the DAE should have
addressed the issue at the time of planning for these new
reactors. PTI SKU
DEP
