India should achieve energy independence by 2030: Kalam (With India-Science/Health-Kalam)

Feb 1, 2007, 9:00 GMT

Hyderabad, Feb 1 (AINS) President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam Thursday said India should achieve energy independence by 2030 through hydel capacity, nuclear power and non-conventional energy sources like solar and wind power besides thermal power.

Delivering the convocation address at the 77th annual convocation of Osmania University here, he said that based on the progress visualised for the nation during the next two decades, the power generating capacity has to increase to 400,000 Megawatts (MW) by 2030 from the existing 130,000 MW.

'In 2030, the hydel capacity is expected to contribute 80,000 MW. Large-scale solar energy farms could contribute around 55,000 MW and wind energy can contribute 64,000 MW. The nuclear power plants should have a target of 50,000 MW. The balance 15,000 MW will be generated through use of solid bio mass and municipal waste,' he said.

He spoke of the scientific research and development challenges towards realising the mission of energy independence and asked Osmania University to take up the challenge.

Explaining why energy independence was essential, Kalam, on a two-day visit to Andhra Pradesh, said it was estimated that the available resource of fossil fuels would get exhausted in the next 50 to 100 years.

On nuclear power, Kalam said the capacity of 16 reactors, which at present is 3,900 MW, is expected to go up to 7,400 MW by 2010 with the completion of nine reactors. As per the present plan of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Nuclear Power Corp, the capacity is expected to increase to 24,000 MW by 2020.

'There is a need to plan right from now to increase this capacity to 50,000 MW by 2030,' he said.

'To meet the increased needs of nuclear power generation, it is essential to pursue the development of nuclear power using thorium, reserves of which are high in the country,' he added.

He called for increasing the power generated through renewable energy sources from the existing 5 percent to 25.

Noting that India is importing around 100 million tonnes of crude oil with a foreign exchange outflow of Rs.1.5 trillion per annum (nearly $34 billion), he said by 2030 the country may have to import 300 million tonnes.

'To reduce the import content, apart from locating the embedded oil resources in the country, we have to work on producing ethanol and bio-diesel in a cost effective manner which can be blended with petrol and diesel.'

India will require production of 60 million tonnes each of bio-diesel and ethanol per annum by 2030.

On wind energy, he said there was a need to earmark sufficient efforts and resources for research into potential windy areas, on optimal plant design and cost effectiveness to realise generating capacity of 64,000 MW.

© 2007 Indo-Asian News Service