After a long gap, Kerala is again grappling with the merits and demerits of nuclear power plants. The topic grabbed headlines following a meeting earlier this year between the Chairman and Managing Director of the State-run Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd., where the possibility of building a plant in Kerala was discussed.
The State’s Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has sought to tread lightly on the contentious issue. According to him, the government can scarcely embark upon such a project without consensus and public approval. In the just-concluded session of the State Assembly, Mr. Krishnankutty stated that the government has not adopted any policy decision regarding the construction of nuclear power stations.
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In the meantime, there are reports that the KSEB has suggested Athirapilly in Thrissur and Cheemeni in northern Kasaragod as potential locations for a plant. Notably, the KSEB move came on the heels of the 2024-25 Union Budget announcement concerning plans to partner with the private sector for establishing Bharat Small Reactors. What makes the KSEB proposal significant is that its timing coincides with Kerala’s struggle against a soaring demand for electricity. Internal generation, which largely hinges on hydropower satisfies a mere 30% of the requirement, forcing the southern State to bank heavily on power purchases.
In 2023-24 alone, spending on power purchases touched ₹12,983 crore, according to the KSEB. This fiscal year, it could rise to ₹15,000 crore. While the KSEB has set an ambitious target of achieving an installed power generation capacity of 10,000 MW by 2030, the State’s present capability stands at a mere 3,419 MW.
Over the last several decades, ecological concerns have prevented Kerala from pursuing large hydro or thermal power projects. Most of the big hydel schemes are situated in the Western Ghats. On the other hand, the electricity demand has surged, placing Kerala under the perpetual threat of power shortages in the summer months. In April, power consumption surged by 15.62% and peak power demand by 12.38% compared with April 2023, according to data released by the electricity Minister’s office.
While supporters of nuclear energy see it as a safe, relatively cheaper power source for energy-starved Kerala, detractors counter that it is a disaster waiting to happen.
The former argue that Kerala is already drawing electricity from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), built with Russian assistance in neighbouring Tamil Nadu. The latter points to the Chernobyl, Kyshtym, and Fukushima Daiichi disasters, highlighting the long-term implications of radioactive contamination, the unanswered questions regarding sustainable storage and disposal of radioactive waste, and the complexities of evacuation in a densely-populated State such as Kerala in the event of a disaster.
Experts in the State’s power sector have instead suggested safer alternatives, such as solar power and pumped storage projects, to resolve the energy dilemma. In tapping solar energy, Kerala has made significant progress, with the capacity up from 16.99 MW in 2016 to 1215.65 MW today, according to State Power Department figures. Proposals for establishing a nuclear power plant in Kerala had begun doing the rounds in the 1980s; however, public outcry regarding safety prompted the State governments of that time to let such proposals fade away.
The debate re-emerged later in connection with the KKNPP. In 2012, CPI(M) veteran V.S. Achuthanandan stirred a political hornet’s nest when he supported anti-Kudankulam demonstrations defying the party line.
Commenting on the recent KSEB move, the current Leader of the Opposition, V. D. Satheesan, advised a serious discussion rather than jumping to conclusions. In Kerala, a wider public debate on this issue has yet to emerge.
However, in shaping any opinion, the question of whether a nuclear power station is absolutely essential for Kerala cannot be ignored. While energy requirements cannot be overlooked, such discussions must also consider the State’s population, its peculiar and ecologically-sensitive geography, and, its vulnerability to major disasters, the recent being the deadly landslides in the Wayanad district on July 30.
Published – October 17, 2024 01:37 am IST
