Reasons for Expanding the Nuclear Energy Program

1. Increase of energy demand

• The demand for energy in India is rapidly increasing, owing primarily to population growth and economic development. Every day, the population grows rapidly, which is forcing India to expand its nuclear energy program. 
• According to recent surveys, India’s energy demand will skyrocket over the next 20 years, and the country has already increased its power generation capacity. 
• Due to the COVID, electricity generation in FY19 and FY20 is lower than in previous years, and in FY21, India recovered much faster and stronger than European nations. From FY10 to FY22, India has already produced more than 500 billion units.

2. Decrease in energy supply

• Rapid climatic changes will have a negative impact on the energy supply. Due to the extremely hot climatic conditions, hydropower is declining, and eventually, hydropower generation will be adversely affected, resulting in a decrease in energy supply.

3. Availability of the energy

• We all know that India is the fourth largest consumer of energy in the world and yet, India is an energy-poor nation. India’s population without electricity is estimated at 19% of the entire population. 
• The 7 nuclear plants with a total capacity of 7380 Megawatts and 22 nuclear reactors were operationally ready as of November 2020. In 2020-2021, nuclear energy generated a total capacity of 43Twh, accounting for 3.11 percent of total electricity production in the country.
• Hence keeping all the above points in consideration, it is highly advised that the nuclear energy program should be expanded in India.

4. Expansion

• India is the fastest-growing country in all aspects, including technology. India’s rapid growth will necessitate a large amount of nuclear energy. 
• As of 2009, India predicted to increase the contribution of nuclear power from 2.8% to 9% within 25 years. Recently the government stated that the nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22,480MW by 2031.
• As a result, it is recommended that the nuclear energy program be expanded in light of the development. 

5. Foreign relations

• Every nation will have a strong bond only if the amount of imports/exports and natural resource sharing is adequate. 
• The ‘123 Agreement’ was signed by the United States of America and the Republic of India, with the main goal of separating civil and nuclear facilities. As a result, developing nuclear capability will improve foreign relations.
• In this regard, we can categorically say that nuclear energy plays a critical role in the development of bilateral relations between nations. 

It is one of the fastest-growing countries in every sector, which increases the demand for energy. With the growing economy, population, urbanisation, and industrialization, according to the International Energy Agency’s (IEA) India Energy Outlook 2021, India needs more energy. Since 2000, energy consumption has risen, with coal and oil providing the majority of the supply. This is projected to increase by 35% through 2030. The need for nuclear energy is growing with the increasing world population, economic development, and climate change, and India should expand its nuclear energy program. The Indian government has also set a number of goals for expanding nuclear energy in the country.