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Keeping in view the ever-increasing energy requirement, India is all set to establish at least four nuclear reactors besides the world's first thorium-based reactor by 2020.
This was stated by eminent scientist and director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam, Baldev Raj on Tuesday while delivering a lecture on 'Challenges and Opportunities in Nuclear Energy' on the occasion of the 12th National Technology Day celebrated by Nalco in Bhubaneshwar.
Of the four nuclear reactors, he said two would be set up at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu while locations for the other two would be decided soon.
Stating that as many countries had stopped working on developing thorium-based nuclear reactors, Raj pointed out that India has emerged as a leader in this field.
Though there was a small thorium based nuclear reactors at Kalpakkam, a big one would be developed there by 2018-19, he said.
Stressing on research and development, he said a lot of energy could be saved if the country uses innovative technologies in generation of power.
As coal, oil, bio-fuel and other means of energy were limited, the country needed to develop technologies for generation of nuclear energy in order to sustain the growth of 10 per cent, he said.
To a question on thorium-based reactor, he said that as the country was importing uranium for a long time, the new technology to use thorium would be much helpful in meeting the domestic requirement.