India working to increase civil nuclear energy in energy mix

New Delhi, Dec 11 (UNI) India is intensifying efforts to enhance the use of solar energy and bio-fuels besides working to significantly increase the share of civilian nuclear power in the energy mix to maintain the projected 9 per cent growth rate, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee said here today.

In his inaugural address at the Second Sustainability Summit here, the External Affairs Minister assserted that India was determined not to alllow Green House Gases (GSG) increase beyond those of the industrialised nations while pursuing its economic growth.

He also stressed the urgent need for greater research and development focussing on resource endowments of developing countries and transfer of advanced clean technologies to them in a cost-effective way.

Even as India pursued the goal of harnessing nuclear and other forms of energy, it should not forget that much of India still relied on traditional biomass for their energy needs, he added.

''There is an urgent need today to have greater R and D focusing on resource endowments of developing countries and transfer of advanced clean technologies to developing countries in a cost effective manner,'' he said.

The Minister said many existing critical technologies had also been out of reach of developing countries because of prohibitive cost, due largely to the existing IPRs regime, and technology denial regimes. These issues needed to be addressed urgently.

Mr Mukherjee said India must have the option and the ability to tap all significant energy sources, whether conventional or advanced fossil fuels based, or renewables.

With about 7,000 MW of installed wind-power, India now has the fourth highest wind capacity in the world.

''We are intensifying our efforts to enhance the use of solar energy and bio-fuels. We are also working to increase significantly the share of civil nuclear power in our energy mix,'' he added.

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