'Nuclear energy is being accepted as a mitigating technology'

Nuclear energy is now being accepted as an important "mitigating technology" in the context of climate change even as expanded use of nuclear technologies offered immense potential to meet important development needs, principal scientific advisor to government of India R Chidambaram has said.
  
"In fact, to satisfy energy demands and to mitigate the threat of climate change, two of the 21st century's greatest challenges, there are major opportunities for expansion of nuclear energy in those countries that choose to have it," Chidambaram said, delivering the A V Rama Rao Technology Award lecture at the IICT here today.

Apart from power, nuclear energy has numerous applications like agriculture, medicine, industry among others, Chidambaram said adding nuclear was now accepted as an important mitigating technology in the context of climate change threat.

"If you are to address the climate change threat use nuclear as an important mitigating technology..but for it to be a sustainable mitigating technology the nuclear fuel cycle must be closed," Chidambaram, who is also the DEA Homi Bhabha
Professor at BARC, said.

"You have to close the nuclear fuel cycle, though it requires inputs from a variety of people, reprocessing technologies and bringing down of costs among others. But, in India's point of view and in fact global point of view you must close the fuel cycle...and India must close it faster," Chidambaram suggested.