DIVERSIFIED energy resource base is essential to meet electricity requirements and ensure long-term energy security, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) chair man B Prasada Rao has said. Addressing the 20th annual conference of Indian Nuclear Society here on Monday, the BHEL chairman said, "With the limited resources of coal and oil available in the country and with growing global concerns of green house gases generated by fossil fuelfired stations, nuclear power can provide a solution in medium and long-term perspective." "In the 11th Five Year Plan, a tentative capacity addition of 78,577 megawatt is planned comprising 16,553 MW of hydro, 54,355 MW of coal, 4289 MW of gas and 3,380 MW of nuclear capacity. Likewise, the 13th Five Year Plan seeks to increase the share of nuclear power in the Indian power sector by more than a 100 per cent, to 8,000 MW with a simultaneous increase of 25 per cent in hydro power in a bid to reduce the country's reliance on coal," Prasada said. Though a basic parameter to assess the degree of development of any country is availability of per capita electricity, we are still facing power shortages of 15 per cent despite impressive strides in increasing overall installed capacity, he added. In his inaugural address, Anil Kakodkar, former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), stressed the need for creating linkages between research and delivery mechanism. Speaking to reporters during the conference, Sreekumar Banerjee, chairman of AEC, said that the work at the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant is progressing well and the plant is expected to reach its criticality level by mid-2010. Reacting to a question on uranium shortage for reactors, Banerjee said, "We have negotiated with France and Russia and got some uranium." We have to have an agreement (with suppliers) to ensure no disruption in the supply for the entire period of the reactor, he added.