Nuclear Energy - Current Affairs Questions and Answers

ANSWER: 3.4%

Explanation:
The share of nuclear power in the total electricity generation in the country was about 3.4% in the year 2015-16.

It will be progressively increased by addition of nuclear power capacity.

The present capacity of 5780 MW will reach 6780 MW by the end of this financial year, with the commercial operation of Kudankulam Unit-2, which is already generating infirm power at the rated capacity.

The capacity is expected to reach 9580 MW by 2020 on progressive completion of projects under construction and about 12980 MW by 2024 on completion of new projects accorded sanction.

A large expansion programme based on both Indian technologies and with foreign technical cooperation is planned ahead.

GoI has also given ‘in principle’ approval for the site at Kovvada in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh.

This is for setting up six Light Water Reactors in cooperation with the USA.

Pre-project activities including land acquisition, obtaining statutory clearances and detailed site investigations are continuing at the site.

In parallel, discussions on the techno-commercial aspects with M/s Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) to arrive at a project proposal have also started.

ANSWER: Nanoceramic

Explanation:
A team of scientists from the United States have created a Nanoceramic material that can be used to produce safer and economical nuclear reactors.

The team included Fabio Di Fonzo and Kumar Sridharan and others.

The research was published in the Nature journal Scientific Reports in September 2016 with the title “Radiation endurance in Al2O3 nanoceramics.”

Earlier water was used as the primary coolant in reactors for absorbing the heat released from fission reactions which poses risks of corrosion damage to materials.

It also limits the temperatures up to which water-cooled reactors can operate because of which it cannot be used in advanced reactors.

About Nanoceramic material

• Made of: aluminium oxide nanoceramic coating.
• Can withstand harsh temperatures and radiation.
• It becomes tougher under radiation.
• Can be used in advanced nuclear reactors.
• Increases energy efficiency, safety and economy.

ANSWER: Kudankulam

Explanation:
An Inter-Governmental Agreement (IGA) between Government of India and Government of Russian Federation was signed in December 2008 for setting up units 3 to 6 at Kudankulam, Tamil Nadu in technical cooperation with Russian Federation.

• Discussions on the draft General Framework Agreement for setting up Units 5&6 (KKNPP 5&6) are currently in progress.
• The project is planned to be set up on technical cooperation basis with shared scope of work. The Indian private industry would be involved in supply of equipment, execution of the works contracts, providing services in Indian scope of work and localisation of components.

ANSWER: Kakrapar

Explanation:
There was a leak at the Karapar atomic power station classified as Level 1 or lowest in a 7 rung classification scheme. International Nuclear and Radiological Event scale developed by International Atomic Energy Authority rates the mishap as akin to an anomaly in the plant. In contrast, the Fukushima and Chernobyl leaks were level 7 incidents.

ANSWER: Experimental Advanced Superconducting Tokamak

Explanation:
Nuclear reactor in China has created plasma at temperature of 90 million Fahrenheit for 102 seconds (around 49.999 million degrees C or 50 million Kelvins). Temperature is three times hotter than the sun’s core or a mid zed thermo nuclear explosion. This study was conducted at the Institute of Plasma Physics at Chinese Academy of Sciences in Jiangsu province. Research team maintained the high temperature for 1000 seconds or nearly 17 minutes.The EAST machine or Experimental Advanced Supercomputing Tokamak was used for this study. Plasma created is a super hot has formed from the heating of atoms in the magnetic EAST device. EAST experiment follows successful testing of German Wendelstein 7- stellarator fusion reactor earlier in the month for only a second.

ANSWER: Nuclear Energy: A ‘Clean’ Energy option

Explanation:
No explanation is available for this question!