Revisiting the agro industrial complex

Impetus to the idea of desalination in the department of atomic energy came from the concept of Agro Industrial Complex. This was aimed at using nuclear electric power for the industrial complex, nuclear heat for the desalination and finally power and desalinated water for the agricultural farms as well as for the industries in the Complex. A working group made a detailed study of various options in desalination process, type of reactors, kind of crops to be taken etc. Non-availability of 600 MWe reactors and high capital costs were among the reasons for the non-implementation of the project report. A case is made out here to reassess the project report in the changed technological and economic environment. (author)