Haryana gets global nuclear energy centre

CHANDIGARH - Haryana Friday got another first after it was announced here that the state would host the worlds first Global Centre for Nuclear Energy partnership.

The global centre would be at village Kheri Jassaur, near Bahadurgarh, in district Jhajjar, it was announced at a press conference addressed by chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, Srikumar Banerjee and Haryana Chief Minister Bhupinder Singh Hooda here Friday evening.

Hooda said the centre would be set up with the assistance of France, Russia and United States for research and development of secure and proliferation resistant reactor systems. Assistance of United Kingdom may also be taken in this project, he added.

As part of its efforts to promote non-proliferation, the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had announced the setting up of a Nuclear Security Summit in April this year in Washington. A Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation in building the centre was also signed by Srikumar Banerjee, Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy and Timothy Roemer, the US Ambassador to India, on the sidelines of the talks President Barack Obama held with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, it was announced.

The centre will facilitate deliberation and discussions of international experts on various issues including innovation in nuclear reactors and the nuclear fuel cycle, development of proliferation-resistant reactors, security technologies and the effects of radiation exposure, Banerjee said.

He said the Centre would also host short-term training courses for international nuclear experts in the field of nuclear security.

Giving details of the prestigious project, Banerjee said the centre would consist of four schools dealing with Advanced Nuclear Energy System Studies, Nuclear Security, Radiation Safety and application of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technology in areas of healthcare, agriculture and food.

The centre, located nearly 100 km from New Delhi, is visualized to be a state-of-the-art facility based on international participation, which would conduct research and development of design systems that are intrinsically safe, secure, proliferation resistant and sustainable.

The objective of the School of Advanced Nuclear Energy Systems Studies is to pursue design studies and analysis of advanced nuclear energy systems with features to achieve intrinsically enhanced safety, security, proliferation resistance and sustainability, he added.

Banerjee made a presentation to the chief minister regarding the proposed facilities that would be available at the global centre and the likely benefits for the people in the fields of agriculture, health and others.

Banerjee said that the School of Excellence in Nuclear Security would pursue training and research in nuclear security. The School of Excellence in Radiation Safety would develop radiation measurement and protection devices and provide training in their usage.

The School for Applications of Radioisotopes and Radiation Technology would pursue radiation technology applications in areas of health care, agriculture and food.

The centre will be engaged in the number of activities like the research by Indian and visiting international scientists, training of Indian and international participants, international seminars, workshops, group discussions etc. by experts on topical issues and development and conduct of courses in association with interested countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency, he added.