Abstract
The geopolitical concerns surrounding energy security have undergone a major transformation with the inclusion of the sustainability narrative. Fossil fuels continue to pump the world energy architecture but at the same time, they happen to be the biggest source of carbon emissions. In this regard, the entry of nuclear energy becomes all the more imperative to understand and study not only for security experts but also for energy connoisseurs. Add to this, the quantum leap achieved by the Asian giants, such as China and India, in the nuclear energy sector as compared to the West has also become another vital hotbed for discussion. If we combine East Asia and South Asia, one observes that there are about 128 operating nuclear reactors with 40 under construction and a further 90 in the pipeline. While there appears to be a firm determination to go nuclear, there are a number of arguments, challenges and obstacles that this industry encounters, negative public attitude, being one of them. The concerns surrounding nuclear waste disposal, safety and security of power reactors, radiation risk, nuclear liability issues, cost of construction, etc., have plagued the industry, especially post the terrible Japanese experience. Attempting to counter and answer the layman’s understanding of nuclear energy is exactly what this book attempts to do. The book explores the problems and prospects offered by this renewed vigour of nuclear power in the Asian scenario. The book consists of 10 chapters which have been streamlined into five sections spanning across different aspects of the nuclear energy sector. Spanning across a variety of spectrums, the book brings together nuclear energy and security experts from different parts of academia, policy researchers and scientists.
The book makes five major points, each being elaborated in the five sections divided in 10 chapters. The first section sets the tone by reiterating the title of the book. It tries to build a narrative whereby human needs are connected with the economic aspect of energy resources and in turn helping to estimate the significance of nuclear energy from the perspective of environment sustainability and affordability. The author, Ravi Grover, aptly highlights how ‘the nuclear industry must continuously engage public and address their concerns in a language that is easy to understand’ (p. 19). The concept of ‘changing geopolitics of energy security’ in the nuclear energy sector has been undertaken by Girijesh Pant where he rightly points out that the future energy mix has to be cartographed (both at global and local level) together and not in isolation. A combination of renewables and nuclear is a collective initiative that needs to be taken to reposition nuclear in the mainstream agenda of energy security. Pant precisely remarks that nuclear should not be considered as an addendum to the existing energy mix but should be provided with a larger role in the wider sustainability discourse. He then goes on to describe the Asian Pivot of nuclear power whereby China and India are emerging as the leading nuclear entities as compared to the USA. Vinod Kumar, on the other hand, elucidates the idea of nuclear renaissance which has faced moments of mixed fortunes in the shape of movers, shakers and spoilers. Kumar lays down a history of the nuclear renaissance, starting with the American enthusiasm about the atomic energy to the present momentum of the developing world acting as a catalyst. The spoilers, according to Kumar, in the Indian nuclear renaissance particularly come in the form of ‘demand for a much more transparent oversight over the nuclear industry through a nuclear regulatory authority’ (p. 62). Lack of competiveness in the Indian nuclear industry is starkly visible thanks to the monopolizing state entities, such as NPCIL and BHAVINI. Kumar highlights the need for liberalization of the nuclear sector which ‘would allow the entry of private operators, utilities and consortiums that could provide a competitive edge and efficiency’ (p. 63).
Nanda Janardhanan talks about nuclear energy from the climate change mitigation perspective in his chapter where he highlights ‘the socio-political concerns that often snowball into antinuclear public sentiments’ (p. 85). He aptly points out that the suitability of nuclear economics, fuel availability combined with security and safety are affected by both external and domestic challenges which India needs to identify clearly. As far as nuclear facilities are concerned, Karthik Ganesan talks about the advent of small modular reactors (SMRs) which ‘can be categorised as an innovative solution aiming to put an end to the stagnation period of civil nuclear industry’ (p. 89). With a view to advance nuclear energy in the region, Ganesan points out how SMRs can become the next big thing in this industry, citing lower financial requirements, easy land acquisition procedures and also the ‘ability to keep the construction costs on a tight leash’.
The second point that this book endeavours to make pertains to public perceptions and the polarization of risk perceptions that exist between the two categories of ‘experts’ and ‘the public’. The chapter by Catherine Mei Ling Wong unpacks these two ‘problematic categories’ (p. 105) with the help of the interview method. Wong talks about the risk perception of the public to be accounted for and made an integral part of the decision-making process instead of making it an ‘us versus them’ issue. She rightly warns against strict and fixed polarizations which are highlighted in the five historical phases of distrust that goes beyond the nuclear industry and includes a myriad of other aspects. Meaningful participation and deliberation between the civil society, central governmental representatives and nuclear industry stakeholders is essential. Similarly, Kapil Patil discusses the public perceptions of nuclear energy post-Fukushima crisis thereby highlighting the greater importance of a ‘renewed commitment’ towards this industry along with an enhanced risk communication measures.
Thirdly, this book also highlights the area of nuclear knowledge management which plays a vital role in securing the future of this industry. By breaking down the concept, the authors have tried to disseminate the knowledge of good nuclear trends and practices that could play a vital role for the Asian region in the years to come.
Fourthly, the issue of legality, liability and regulation in the nuclear industry becomes even more important when it comes to South Asia. The author, M. P. Ram Mohan rightly points out how India, Pakistan and Bangladesh stand out from Europe or the USA, not only in the context of its dense population but also due to nuclear non-proliferation. Since the two non-signatories of the NPT hail from South Asia, the nuclear energy debate becomes even more interesting. Hence, it is even more essential that the South-Asian region comes together with a holistic regulatory regime to exploit nuclear energy in the coming years.
Fifthly, the overarching cost of nuclear technology cannot be ignored. The authors pit climate liability versus nuclear liability thereby highlighting the importance of the atom in mitigating carbon emissions. The overnight capital cost (OCC), a conventional term of calculating costs, of nuclear industry has been increasing steeply over the years which the Indian policymakers fail to realize. They should incorporate in the OCC the external costs as well, such as risk communication, co-benefits and co-costs, etc., and also ensure a greater reliance on domestic technology so that the cost of nuclear power is kept under control.
It would not be wrong to state that the book dismisses some of the major policy myths about nuclear industry in India. The incisive analysis of the nuclear industry presented in this book is supported by a volume of statistics and data. The finest details in the book are best represented with the help of diagrams and figures which give an in-depth understanding to research scholars and academicians. This book offers a comprehensive understanding of the challenges of the nuclear industry in the South-Asian region. It is an essential handbook for those trying to understand the emergence of nuclear industry in Asia.