THURSDAY, MARCH 25, 2004
India to participate in fusion
PTI
NEW DELHI : India is considering participation in an international project on fusion research, an area which is being touted as the future technology to meet growing energy demands of the world, officials said on Friday.
The issue was discussed here on Thursday at an Indo-UK Science and Technology Joint Committee meeting.
India has expressed interest in collaboration in the ITER (fusion research) project, the officials said.
However, the decision would be taken by the UK government in two-three months. There has been an embargo since 1998 on participation of other countries in the UK-led project in which Japan, Russia, China and Hong Kong are already partners.
India , which has its own programme on fusion research, wold be able to use the facility that is being created under the international programme to carry out its research, they said.
Chief Scientific Advisor to British Government David King, who led the British delegation in yesterday's meeting, said that fusion power can generate enough energy for next two millennia. There is enough lithium in the earth and deutrium in the sea, both fuel for energy geneation through fusion.
Scientists have been able to get ten times for energy as output in comparison to input in the fusion research. The international project aims to set up a facility with all the machinery needed to carry forward this research, he said.
The project envisages energy generation through fusion becoming a reality in 30-35 years. However, the time could be shortened if there is more flow of money into the project, King said.
Indian officials said that country's participation could be through European Union network or through bilateral agreement with the UK . If India participates through bilateral arrangement it would need to contribute about 10 per cent of total project cost of five billion euros. However, through EU network, India would need to contribute more in terms of machinery, they said.
The officials said India was also considering participation in another international project in which a grid was being set up to allow scientists from the countries involved to exchange scientific information.
The proposal would be mooted by IIT, Delhi . Besides, Department of Science and Technology, Ministery of Information Technology would also be a party to it.
The issue had come up in Thursday's meeting. UK is the leading country in this project on "E-Science". India would need to contribute about 200-300 million pounds for participating, King said.
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