Eight reactors of 6,600 MW capacity under construction
Ten nuclear reactors with 7,000 MW capacity are in pre-project stages a Consultative Committee of the Members of Parliament for the Ministry of Power was told on 28 April https://www.npcil.nic.in/index.aspx.
Eight reactors with 6,600 MW capacity are under construction while 25 reactors across seven locations, with a total installed capacity of 8,880 MW, are in operation and are contributing about 3% of the country’s electricity generation http://powermin.nic.in.
The meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Power was held under the Chairmanship of Power Minister Manohar Lal. The agenda for discussion was “Roadmap for Development of Nuclear Power Generation.”
In line with India’s vision of ‘Viksit Bharat @2047’, the Government has set a target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. This will significantly strengthen India’s long-term energy security and contribute towards achieving clean energy goals http://world-nuclear.org.
The Minister outlined the key challenges and strategic steps required for scaling up nuclear energy, including:
Amending the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 to enable broader participation by private and state sectors https://www.iea.org/.
Strengthening public perception and enhancing awareness about nuclear energy’s safety and benefits.
Facilitating faster land acquisition through brownfield expansions and repurposing retired thermal sites.
Streamlining regulatory approval processes to reduce project timelines.
Introducing tax concessions, green power classification, and long-term financing to ensure competitive nuclear tariffs.
Diversifying technology choices through competitive bidding and promoting indigenous manufacturing under Make in India.
Securing diversified uranium fuel sources and expanding the vendor base for specialized nuclear equipment.
Building skilled manpower capacity by strengthening nuclear education and training infrastructure.
The Members of Parliament provided valuable suggestions for expediting nuclear power deployment. They stressed the need for faster project execution, creating a favorable public narrative, ensuring technology diversification, and building robust vendor and manpower ecosystems http://iaea.org.
In his concluding remarks, the Minister that the Ministry would work closely with the Department of Atomic Energy, State Governments, industries, and other stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power projects and ensure a clean, secure, and sustainable energy future for India. Fiinews.com
