India making better technological choices

India will start building a 300MW thorium based advanced heavy water nuclear reactor this year IT will take about five to six years to complete.

Another article talks about the advantages for India in using a Thorium fuel cycle

India’s president Kalam talks about developing 50% efficient solar cells, Thorium reactors and biofuels to make India energy independent by 2030 Recent research has shown that the alignment of the CNT with the polymer composites substrate is the key issue and this aligned CNT-based PV cells would give very high efficiency in photovoltaic conversion. In this process, researchers could achieve an efficiency of about 50% at the laboratory scale. Our scientists have to take up this challenge and come up with the development of CNT-based PV cell with an efficiency of at least 50% within the next three years so that it can go into commercial production within five years. Solar power generation using high efficiency CNT based solar power photovoltaic cells will be highly competitive, compared to other forms of energy generation systems.

India rise as an economic and technological power with a technological visionary President could boost better energy and nanotechnological solutions for the whole world. If India is successful in starting down this path over the next 5-10 years then other nations will have to respond and adopt better practices and choices. I think India is making superior technological choices.