Mint Quick Edit | Don’t kick the can of nuclear waste down the road
- The India-US nuclear deal finally looks closer to fostering cooperation between American companies and Indian entities. While the former may see India’s liability law as a holdback, New Delhi should address the challenge of spent-fuel storage.
There has been movement on the 2008 India-US nuclear deal after prolonged dormancy.
The US has conveyed that it will remove the last few hurdles that block cooperation between its companies and Indian entities in the field of nuclear energy.
This may entail easing US curbs not just on exports, but also on the joint production of components for power plants in India with local partners.
Also read: Nuclear option: Small modular reactors can pave India’s path to clean energy
To forge such ties, US businesses might want India to amend its 2010 law on nuclear-damage liability to limit their exposure to compensation claims.
As of now, not just operators of reactors but also suppliers of equipment can be sued under it.
While accident liability is an important issue (think of the Bhopal gas leak), especially if India acts on plans to set up several small modular reactors, the recycling and/or disposal of nuclear waste need attention too.
Also read: It might be too early to bet on India's nuclear power sector, caution experts
Spent-fuel pools serve as temporary storage at best, while it’s very costly to seal off radiation for centuries to come, as ultimately required.
As climate change and energy-intensive AI projects push the world to embrace carbon-free nuclear power, we’ll need transparency on risk mitigation.
The can of nuclear waste mustn’t get kicked down the road.
Also read: Five Indian stocks that could take a massive hit from potential US tariffs
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