New INL project will improve nuclear reactor simulations

IDAHO FALLS — A new project at Idaho National Laboratory and Brookhaven National Laboratory will improve the way scientists model the inner workings of nuclear reactors.

Researchers from the Idaho and New York labs, led by INL’s Giuseppe Palmiotti, won a competitive grant from the Department of Energy’s Office of Science. The researchers will use the money to develop more accurate, and more universally applicable, reactor simulations. As a result, engineers should be able to design better, more efficient reactors down the road.

INL and BNL scientists will use data from experiments already performed at nuclear facilities around the world to test and calibrate their models of nuclear reactions at the atomic level. This will enable them to integrate data from the meter scale (humans and their machines) with outcomes at the femtometer scale (the atomic nucleus). The research will cover an unprecedented 15 orders of magnitude, equivalent to the range between a single footstep and a light year.

This approach is novel, because reactor engineers and nuclear physicists occupy separate, rarely intersecting realms, according to Palmiotti.

“This will create a bridge between the nuclear physics community and the reactor community,” he said. “The exchange of information between the two will be beneficial to both sides.”

INL researchers, including project leader Palmiotti, Massimo Salvatores and Hikaru Hiruta, will take charge at the meter scale. Using INL’s supercomputer facility, they will analyze data from experiments investigating the behavior and performance of materials inside reactors. These experiments are broad and varied. Some have measured reaction rates and critical masses for fissionable substances such as uranium and plutonium; others have looked at how neutrons propagate through iron and sodium.

Meanwhile, BNL scientists Michal Herman and Pavel Oblozinsky will use supercomputers to improve models at the nuclear physics level. The two groups will feed off each other, testing the simulations they develop against information from actual experiments.

The new simulations should be more accurate than those currently in use, which have not been tested in this way. And, because the researchers are looking at such a wide range of materials and experiments, their models should also be more broadly applicable.

This project, which received $1.05 million over three years, is one of two INL proposals funded by DOE’s Office of Science. The other, which Palmiotti also works on and INL physicist Gilles Youinou leads, could help reveal how to get more use from nuclear fuel. While the two efforts differ substantially in their details, they share common goals.

“Both projects look at improving our knowledge of fast-reactor physics and increasing the accuracy of our simulation efforts,” Palmiotti said. Fast reactors employ a nuclear chain reaction powered by especially fast-moving neutrons.

The two grant awards represent a unique accomplishment for INL, which receives the bulk of its research funding for applied engineering work rather than basic research projects such as these. Further, according to the Office of Science Web site, the two projects together received about $3 million, meaning INL received 10 percent of funds the Office of Science estimates will be available in this round of Recovery Act funding.

“INL is using a science-based approach to obtain better data and to better design future reactors,” said Phillip Finck, INL associate laboratory director for Nuclear Science & Technology. “Basically, we’re using scientific tools to get better engineering data.”

Both projects will start operations Oct. 1.

INL is one of the DOE’s 10 multi-program national laboratories. The laboratory performs work in each of DOE’s strategic goal areas: energy, national security, science and environment. INL is the nation’s leading center for nuclear energy research and development. Day-to-day management and operation of the laboratory are the responsibility of Battelle Energy Alliance.
Subscribe to RSS feeds for INL news and feature stories at www.inl.gov.

Source: Idaho National Laboratory

A push for Canadian nuclear technology in Asia

Trade Minister Stockwell Day will sign a treaty with Kazakhstan on Thursday that will clear Canada to export nuclear technology to the ex-Soviet republic, part of a push by the government to drum up business for Canada’s nuclear industry in Central Asia and India.

Day wrapped up a trip to Ukraine on Wednesday during which he launched free-trade talks with that country and promoted the Candu nuclear-reactor technology developed by Atomic Energy of Canada Ltd.

“We have a very clear indication that they want to see Candus as part of their nuclear energy future,” Day told Canwest News Service in an interview from Kyiv.

After signing the nuclear co-operation agreement in Kazakhstan, Day will travel to India to open a trade office in Ahmedabad, the biggest city in Gujarat state. Day said the government is also putting the finishing touches on a nuclear co-operation agreement with India and hopes to have a deal done in as little as a month.

“It’s just a matter of getting the final i’s dotted and t’s crossed,” he said.

In addition to opening doors for AECL, the trade mission could generate opportunities for Canadian uranium producers such as Saskatchewan-based Cameco.

But critics warn that nuclear supplies sold to countries such as Kazakhstan could end up in the wrong hands and they argue that selling nuclear technology to India, which isn’t party to the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty, sends the wrong message about Canada’s stance on nuclear weapons.

Michael Byers, Canada research chair in international law and politics at the University of British Columbia, said selling nuclear technology to Kazakhstan presents a “huge proliferation risk.”

Some non-proliferation experts have raised concerns that radioactive material could be smuggled out of Kazakhstan and into the shadowy trade routes through nearby Afghanistan. Under President Nursultan Nazarbayev, Kazakhstan has been plagued by accusations of corruption and human-rights abuses.

“If the nightmare scenario is al-Qaida acquiring nuclear weapons or a dirty bomb, then selling nuclear technology to Kazakhstan is the last thing we should want to do,” said Byers.

However, Day noted that other developed countries that compete with Canada to export nuclear technology, including the United States and France, have signed similar deals with Kazakhstan. “By us not signing, AECL would clearly be left out of the loop,” the minister said.

A group of nuclear suppliers that includes the U.S., France, Russia and Canada agreed last year to waive restrictions on purchasing civilian nuclear technology that had been imposed on India for its refusal to commit to non-proliferation. However, controversy has surrounded Canada’s efforts to break into the nuclear market in India, which bought Canadian reactor technology for civilian use, then used it to develop nuclear weapons in the 1970s.

“If the minister is in India flogging nuclear technology, it’s essentially another step toward accepting that the (non-proliferation) regime doesn’t apply,” said Byers.

Regardless, AECL faces an uphill battle convincing foreign countries to buy its reactor gear, said John Cadham, a doctoral research fellow at Carleton University in Ottawa who has authored a forthcoming study on the Canadian nuclear industry. This summer, the Ontario government suspended plans to build a new nuclear power plant after expressing concerns about the future of AECL’s reactor business, which the federal government has put up for sale.

“If AECL can’t be successful selling new reactor technology in Ontario, how’s it reasonably going to expect to be successful selling internationally?” he said.

Source: Canwest News Service

20-year extension recommendation for two Pennsylvania reactors

A final independent safety review is recommending that the Nuclear Regulatory Commission approve 20-year extensions in the operating licenses for two nuclear reactors in western Pennsylvania.

The report by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards notes corrosion problems on the containment liner at FirstEnergy Corp.’s Beaver Valley Unit 1 and Unit 2 reactors in Shippingport, about 30 miles northwest of Pittsburgh.

The original 40-year operating license for Unit 1 expires in January 2016 while Unit 2’s license runs until May 2027.

The seven-page report notes that a small rust hole was found in April in Unit 1’s 3/8-inch thick steel containment liner and that corrosion had also been discovered along a weld in 2006. But it concludes that both reactors can be operated for the extended period “without undue risk to the health and safety of the public.”

The panel recommends detailed inspections for the containment liners of both reactors during refueling outages this fall and in 2010.

Source: R&D

AECL extends agreement with Argentina for expanded CANDU nuclear co-operation

Creates increased business opportunities for Canada’s nuclear industry in South America

Mississauga, 2009 September 21 — Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has signed an Agreement with Nucleoeléctrica Argentina S.A. (NASA) and Comisión Nacional de Energía Atómica (CNEA) to extend a number of nuclear co-operation programs related to CANDU 6 and the development of the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000).

AECL President and CEO Hugh MacDiarmid (right), NASA President Eduardo Messi (centre) and CNEA Nuclear Energy Area Manager Carlos Goh (left) sign a three-year agreement to extend a number of nuclear co-operation programs related to CANDU 6 and the development of the Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000).

The agreement was signed today by AECL’s President and Chief Executive Officer Hugh MacDiarmid, CNEA President Norma Boero and NASA President Eduardo Messi at AECL’s corporate office in Mississauga. The agreement is for a period of three years and extends an agreement originally signed in 2006 for a wide range of initiatives including the life extension of the Embalse, Argentina nuclear power plant and a feasibility study to build a new CANDU reactor.

“We are very pleased with the continued collaboration between AECL, NASA and CNEA, which will further enhance Argentina’s development of nuclear power for generating clean, safe, reliable and economic electricity,” said NASA President Eduardo Messi.

The agreement specifies a number of nuclear-related projects on which AECL, NASA and CNEA will collaborate. These include developing a program for the life extension of the very successful Embalse CANDU 6 reactor, which began operating in 1984.The agreement also outlines the framework for several programs and initiatives aimed at the advancement of pressurized heavy water reactor technology and supporting facilities, including new developments related to materials and fabrication of fuel channels components and CANDU fuel cycle design.

“This is a very positive development for AECL and Canada’s nuclear industry,” said AECL’s President and Chief Executive Officer Hugh MacDiarmid. “By enhancing nuclear co-operation between Canada and Argentina we are creating significant commercial opportunities for both countries, and enhancing the efficiency and competitiveness of CANDU technology at a time when the international market for nuclear is growing rapidly.”

Argentina’s nuclear power program is based on pressurized heavy water reactor technology. Argentina has significant heavy water reactor infrastructure including R&D facilities, heavy water production, fuel manufacture, and supply of certain plant components. The agreement creates increased trade and commercial business opportunities in South America for Canada’s CANDU-based nuclear industry.

About AECL

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is full service nuclear technology company providing services to nuclear utilities around the world. Established in 1952, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU technology including the CANDU 6, one of the world’s top-performing reactors and the new ACR-1000.

AECL’s 5,000 employees deliver cutting edge nuclear services, R&D support, design and engineering, construction management, specialized technology, waste management and decommissioning in support of CANDU reactor products. We work in partnership with our clients to provide clean, safe, reliable and affordable energy solutions. More information on AECL and CANDU technology can be found at www.aecl.ca

Contact:

Dale Coffin
Director, Corporate Communications
AECL, 1-866-886-2325

Source: AECL News Room

China plans to construct its first foreign nuclear plant

China’s nuclear industry is asserting itself by building nuclear power plants as alternatives to polluting coal-powered ones. Its firms are exploring and developing uranium deposits around the world and exporting made-in-China technology.

The China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Co. (CGNPC) will be the first Chinese company to build a nuclear plant outside the borders of the mainland, said Xiang Weidong, director of overseas business at CGNPC Uranium Resources, the firm’s sourcing, exploration and production unit. He made the announcement on the sidelines of the CBI China Nuclear Power Leadership Summit on Friday

Xiang did not say where the new plant would be built, but the company’s website stated that the company signed a letter of intent just over a year ago with Belarus to co-operate in the nuclear power field. Last October that Belarus had invited foreign nuclear power plant construction firms, including the GGNPC, to tender for a plant to be completed between 2016 and 2018.

The company is one of two state-owned firms that dominate the mainland’s nuclear power generation sector. It is currently building 12 reactors with a total capacity of 12GW in Guangdong, Liaoning and Fujian provinces, with two more in Guangdong in the pipeline.

The company has about 4GW of plants in operation in Guangdong; the installed capacity is projected to reach 34GW by 2020.

China is making a huge effort to increase its nuclear energy production capacity as an alternative to polluting coal-powered plants, and it is considering raising its 2020 installed nuclear power capacity target to more than 70GW, up from 40GW set in 2005.

For this reason, the CGNPC has been scouring the world for uranium supplies. Last December, the company’s sourcing unit formed a joint venture called Semizbay Uranium with Kazakhstan’s state-owned uranium producer Kazatomprom, which controls the Central Asian nation’s rich uranium deposits.

The venture’s output is expected to be 550 tonnes this year, rising to 1,100 tonnes next year and 1,450 tonnes in 2011. All of it will be used in CGNPC’s mainland plants.

The mainland’s uranium demand for this year is estimated to be 2,000 tonnes.

CGNPC has signed other deals with Uzbekistan and Australian companies to explore and develop uranium deposits in those countries.

It already has deals with traders and miners such as France’s Areva, the United States’ Nukem and Australia’s Paladin.

Source: Asia News

Mitsubishi acquires Chinese I&C order

Mitsubishi Electric Corp and consortium partner China Techenergy Corp (CTEC) have been awarded a contract to supply digital instrumentation and control (I&C) systems for the first two units at the Yangjiang nuclear power plant in China.

Expanded turbine capacity Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (MHI) has completed construction of a new plant at its Takasago Machinery Works in Hyogo prefecture dedicated to production of steam turbine rotors for nuclear power plants. The company said the new plant will play a key role for MHI’s advanced pressurized water reactors (APWRs) for the US and European markets by producing one of the world’s largest nuclear power plant turbines, featuring 70-inch (1.8 metre) class turbine blades. The new plant will boost MHI’s annual rotor production capacity from the current six to ten and significantly push forward the company’s plan to establish a “two NPPs per year” production structure. A plant dedicated to processing 70-inch class forged turbine blades is scheduled to be completed within the current fiscal year. MHI has so far manufactured and supplied turbines for all 24 PWR units in operation or under construction in Japan. The company has also received export orders for turbines for nuclear power plants, including from China, Spain and Slovenia.

The contract, worth some ¥10 billion ($110 million), was placed by China Guangdong Nuclear Power Holding Corp (CGNPC), which is constructing the two CPR1000 units in Guangdong province. The first delivery under the contract is scheduled to be in April 2011. The first of the two 1000 MWe, Chinese-designed pressurized water reactors (PWRs) is set to start operating in 2013.

In July 2007, Mitsubishi Electric received an order for six digital I&C systems for CPR1000-type units from China Nuclear Power Engineering Corp (CNPEC), an engineering subsidiary of CGNPC. At that time, Mitsubishi Electric and CTEC proposed the digital I&C solution based on the system applied in advanced nuclear power plants in Japan. The order was the first I&C system developed by a Japanese company for Chinese nuclear power plants.

Following on from previous orders, the contract for Yangjiang units 1 and 2 means that Mitsubishi Electric’s digital I&C system has now been adopted in eight out of ten CPR1000-type reactors under construction in China. It also raises the possibility that the system will continue to be applied as a standard in CPR1000 plants yet to be built.

CGNPC owns four nuclear power reactors in operation and ten units under construction out of the total of 30 reactors currently in operation or being built in China. The company plans to construction some 20 CPR1000 units within the next decade.

Mitsubishi Electric said that it is seeking to further expand its digital I&C system business in cooperation with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Mitsubishi Corp and CTEC.

Source: World Nuclear News

Bruce Power revoked workers’ access privileges to the site after ‘conduct violations’

Dozens of contract employees at the Bruce Power nuclear site in southwestern Ontario have been turned away from work after breaking the company’s rules of conduct.

Bruce Power spokesman Ross Lamont said the affected workers were either contractors or employed through contracting companies and were not permanent staff.

He said Bruce Power did not actually fire the staff, but revoked the workers’ access privileges to the site.

“We can’t actually fire an employee of another company,” he said. “But we are a nuclear company and access to the site is very carefully guarded, we can tell a company that certain individuals have had their access to the site taken away and are no longer able to work here.”

Reports suggest it was close to 100 people.

Lamont would not confirm or deny that Internet violations were the cause of the action late last week, but said there was no security or technical threat resulting from the infractions.

“This in no way impacts on the continued safe operation or technical information or security or safety of the site,” said Lamont, who also would not specify how many workers were involved, only to say it was a “significant number.”

The private nuclear site, which is located near Kincardine — about 275 kilometres northwest of Toronto — has about 3,800 permanent staff, with another 2,000 contractors and staff associated with those businesses.

Source: Canwest News Service

Canadian nuclear regulator finds “no fundamental barriers” to licensing AECL’s Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000)

Mississauga, 2009 September 10 — The Canadian Nuclear Safety Commission (CNSC) has completed Phase 2 of a Pre-Project Design Review of Atomic Energy of Canada Limited’s Advanced CANDU Reactor (ACR-1000) and concluded that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the ACR-1000 in Canada.

“This is a tremendous milestone for the Canadian nuclear industry as it signals the strength of the CANDU nuclear design to the global marketplace,” says AECL President and CEO Hugh MacDiarmid. “The CNSC has found no fundamental barriers to licensing an ACR-1000 here in Canada, which gives a strong indication that our design is safe and robust.”

The objective of a Pre-Project Design Review is to verify, at a high level, the acceptability of a nuclear reactor design with respect to Canadian safety requirements and expectations. To achieve this objective, CNSC staff assessed specific safety and security aspects of the ACR-1000 design to identify any potential technical issues that could constitute a potential fundamental barrier to licensing a new reactor design in Canada.

“I am pleased to recognize the completion of the Phase II Pre-Project Design Review of the ACR-1000 for AECL,” says CNSC President & CEO Michael Binder. “This is a positive result in the assessment of whether there are any fundamental barriers to safety in the proposed design provisions of the ACR-1000.”

The CNSC Phase 2 Pre-Project Design Review concluded:

• AECL has provided sufficient design and analysis information for the purpose of the review;
• At a high level, the design intent is compliant with CNSC regulatory requirements and meets the expectations for new nuclear power plants in Canada;
• CNSC staff did not identify any fundamental barriers to licensing the ACR-1000 in Canada;
• An adequate design process is in place, and the CNSC has made some observations regarding its implementation;
• As part of a licence application, CNSC staff would expect a commissioning program to be submitted that is commensurate with industry best practice that would verify to the extent practicable that the new features of the ACR-1000 design will function in accordance with their design requirements; and,
• The overall ACR-1000 R&D program was derived logically from the existing knowledge base and appears to be comprehensive — addressing key safety-related and first-of-a-kind R&D requirements.

While the overall conclusion indicated that there are no fundamental barriers to licensing the ACR-1000 in Canada, it should be noted that this is subject to the successful completion of AECL’s planned activities, in particular those related to R&D.

Mr. MacDiarmid added, “We are confident in the merits of the ACR-1000 as it’s built on the fundamentals of our existing CANDU reactor fleet, including the CANDU 6, which has been built on-time and on-budget on four continents in the last 12 years. AECL and its Team CANDU partners are ready to build the first ACR-1000 on Canadian soil and the positive conclusions of the CNSC’s Pre-Project Design Review provide more confidence in our readiness.”

AECL will now proceed with finalizing the detail aspects of the design in anticipation of an ACR-1000 reactor build in the near future.

A copy of the Phase 2 Executive Summary is available for downloading from the CSNC website at: www.cnsc-ccsn.gc.ca.

A flythrough video demonstrating the ACR-1000 reactor can be viewed at Canada Newswire’s (CNW) Broadcast-On-Demand site:
http://cnw.pathfireondemand.com/viewpackage.action?packageid=234.

About the ACR-1000

The ACR-1000 is Atomic Energy of Canada’s evolutionary, Gen III+*, 1200 MWe class pressure tube reactor. It is a light water cooled, heavy water moderated pressure tube reactor derived from the well-established CANDU line.

The ACR-1000 retains the basic, well-proven, features of the CANDU® plant design such as a modular, horizontal fuel channel core, a low-temperature heavy-water moderator, water-filled vault, two independent diverse shutdown systems, on-power fuelling and reactor building accessibility for on-power maintenance.

* Gen III+ is the classification given to nuclear technologies by an international team, including Canada, that is collaborating on the research to develop the next generation, Gen IV reactors. ACR-1000 is one of the technologies that are considered as a Generation III+ design.

About AECL

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited is a full service nuclear technology company providing services to nuclear utilities around the world. Established in 1952, AECL is the designer and builder of CANDU technology including the ACR-1000 and the CANDU 6, one of the world’s top-performing reactors. AECL is actively developing CANDU markets in Romania, Argentina as well as other international markets. AECL’s 5,000 employees deliver cutting edge nuclear services, R&D support, design, and engineering, construction management, specialized technology, refurbishment, waste management and decommissioning in support of CANDU reactor products. More information on AECL and CANDU technology can be found at www.aecl.ca

Contact Information:

Dale Coffin
Director, Corporate Communications
AECL, 1-866-886-2325
905-403-7457

Source: AECL News Room

Nuclear energy debate in Australia continues

The nuclear debate in Australia has been stepped up by a declaration from Ziggy Switkowski that there is no impediment to the country using 50 reactors for power by mid-century.

The level of the political nuclear debate in Australia has lagged behind that in media and business circles, with many commentators wondering about the contradiction of the country’s position: Nuclear power is forbidden even though the country is the world’s leading exporter of uranium and officially recognises the mineral’s benefits in climate protection. Meanwhile, the vast bulk of power is generated from coal and the country is among the highest per capita carbon emitters.

As chairman of the Australian Nuclear Science and Technology Organisation (Ansto), Switkowski took an opportunity to increase his advocacy when speaking in front of the Committee for Economic Development of Australia business group in Melbourne yesterday.

He said the landmark UMPNER report he chaired in 2006 is now too conservative. Instead of 25 large reactors by 2050 to provide one third of power, Australia should now plan for 50 because “it solves our greenhouse gas challenge in the electricity sector completely.”

The first reactor should be planned to come online in 2020, with ten operational in 2030 to meet 25% of electricity needs. By 2050, the 50 large reactors would be meeting 90% of demand, producing hydrogen for a variety of uses and charging electric vehicles overnight.

Between 13 and 25 locations would be required to site all those reactors, Switkowski said, suggesting the most energy-intensive states of Victoria and New South Wales. These have a total land area of over 1 million square kilometres – almost the size of Britain, France and Japan put together. This makes the siting task simple, said Switkowski.

And waste disposal is no problem either. Some 95% of the huge, dry continent is suitable for geologic disposal and a facility to hold the waste wouldn’t be required until around 2060, given each reactor’s capability to store its own fuel during its operational life.

Switkowski’s vision extends beyond Ansto’s recommendations to the government as part of an energy white paper consultation. Ansto called nuclear power an option to be considered “in a well balanced and forward-looking approach to energy supply” and added that with current policies there is no second option for clean baseload if capture and storage of coal pollution cannot be commercialised.

Switkowski concluded his speech with a call for government to be clear on energy strategy and goals, achieve bipartisan support for nuclear and begin preparing an appropriate regulatory structure for a nuclear sector to grow.

Source: World Nuclear News

India, Sri Lanka to share nuclear technology

India is likely to share its nuclear technology with Sri Lanka for power generation using Thorium as the main source of energy, Science and Technology Minister Tissa Vitharana said Friday. The Daily Mirror newspaper quoted Professor Vitharana as saying India is prepared to support Sri Lanka with setting up a nuclear power plant and that he had requested IAEA support for the project. Professor Vitharana also told the paper he had invited Indian nuclear scientists to conduct a feasibility study on the use of Thorium deposits – said to be found in abundance along Sri Lanka’s southern costal belt – as a source of nuclear energy for power generation.

“I had fruitful discussions with the Indian delegation in Geneva when I attended the IAEA’s annual sessions recently. They are prepared to assist us in utilizing Thorium as a source of energy for a future nuclear power plant and to share the necessary technology as India has successfully developed the use of Thorium for nuclear power generation,” Prof. Vitharana told Daily Mirror.

He said the feasibility study would include such matters as cost effectiveness, safety in use of nuclear material and safety in waste disposal and added that he had spoken to the IAEA requesting its support for the project.

He said India had successfully developed a pilot plant using Thorium instead of Uranium and were now on the verge of commissioning a major nuclear power project with Thorium as the source of energy.

“While we could get the benefit of the new technology developed by India to utilize Thorium as a source of energy, we also need to conduct a proper survey to determine the full extent of Thorium reserves in Sri Lanka. This will be a part of the feasibility study before a final decision is taken to determine whether we turn to nuclear energy to supply power to the national electricity grid,” Prof. Vitharana said.

He said with the world in the throes of a fuel crisis because of increasing demand and diminishing fuel resources, Sri Lanka too would confront major problems in obtaining sources of energy and added that with the defeat of the LTTE, the need for economic development and the reduction of poverty have become major problems for the government.

“This cannot be achieved without adequate and affordable energy and power supply. At present, most of the income derived from the export of tea and rubber is spend to import petroleum products,” Prof. Vitharana said.

He said this situation would get much worse in future and it was essential for Sri Lanka explore the possibility of utilizing locally available fuel resources.

The Alternative Energy Division of the Science and Technology Ministry together with the Sustainable Energy Division of the Power and Energy Ministry have been promoting alternative sources of locally available energy resources for power generation — mini-hydro power plants, wind, solar and bio-gas.

But these sources cannot completely replace fossil fuel. The ‘Inter Ministerial Committee for Generation of Bio-Fuel’ set up by the Science and Technology Ministry explores the possibility of increasing the use of bio-fuel like Ethanol and Bio-Diesel (Jatropha) for vehicles.

“It is essential to have a major source of energy for the electricity grid in the future. More and more countries are now turning to nuclear energy as a suitable additional source for supplying the electricity grid considering it will take at least 10 years after the decision is taken to develop nuclear energy before it can be generated,” Prof. Vitharana said.

Source: TamilNet

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