Top officials of the Kerala State Power department visited the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Mumbai, earlier this week as part of exploring the possibility of tapping thorium deposits in the State for power generation.
The delegation led by Additional Chief Secretary (Power) K.R. Jyothilal held talks with BARC director Vivek Bhasin and senior scientists on Tuesday.
Power department sources described the visit as “exploratory” in nature. The delegation also included Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) chairman Rajan Khobragade, Energy Management Centre director R. Harikumar, and Agency for New and Renewable Energy Research and Technology (ANERT) Chief executive Officer Narendra Nath Veluri.
State’s potential
Speaking at a function here on Thursday to mark the 10th anniversary of the first operational unit at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), Mr. Jyothilal stressed Kerala’s potential to tap nuclear energy through its thorium deposits. Kerala has large deposits of thorium, he pointed out.
Mr. Jyothilal also spoke about the possibilities in Small Modular Reactor (SMR) and Advanced Small Modular Reactor (ASMR) technologies in this context.
At a meeting with Union Power Minister R.K. Singh in November, Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty had sought permission for thorium-based power generation in Kerala.
