Atomic Energy for Peaceful Applications: Highlights

Atomic Energy for Peaceful Applications: Highlights

Question: Atomic Energy for peaceful applications is important. Elaborate

Atomic energy us used for the following peaceful applications:

- Power Generation

- Healthcare

- Agriculture

- Food Preservation

- Industry and research

- Currently India has 21 nuclear power plants operating with complete installed capacity of 5780 MWe and reactors at Trombay and Kalpakkam for basic and applied research respectively

- as well as radio isotope production, testing of materials and manpower training.

- Radio isotopes produced from these reactors are used for radiation sterilisation of medical products, production of radio pharma and nuclear medicine as well as cancer treatment

- Radio isotopes are also used for production of improved varieties of seeds and crops in agriculture as well as radiation processing for numerous food items

Radiation Technologies developed in BARC have also been employed for following peaceful industrial applications:

- Radiography,

- Detecting leakage points in long natural gas pipelines,

- Tracking petroleum pipelines,

- Assisting dredging operations in ports, gamma ray densitometers, radiography cameras and blood irradiators.

- Persistent research in new and advanced technologies for application of atomic energy has been accorded priority and DAE has been working towards the following projects:

- Advanced Heavy Water reactors for using thorium based fuel with advanced passive safety systems has been set up

- Compact High Temperature Reactor for developing high temperature process heat for hydrogen generation using water splitting reaction has also been developed

Facts and Stats

- BARC has set up Sludge Hygenisation technologies through which sludge is hygenised through inactivation of pathogens by radiation effects, production of high quality manure for applications in agriculture and more

Electron Beam Accelerator Technology has also been developed which is used in the following industries:

- Cable and electrical insulation manufacturers

- Heat shrinkable product manufacturers

- Plastic recycling industry

- Diamond industry