GoI gears up for nuclear projects with foreign collaboration

 The Dollar Business Bureau India is likely to complete four indigenous nuclear power reactors by 2019. The four reactors to be completed by 2019 are currently under construction-- two at Kakrapar, Gujarat and the other two at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, the Minister of State, Personnel, PG & Pensions, Jitendra Singh, said on Thursday. Besides, the financial approval has also been given to two other indigenous nuclear reactors at Gorakhpur, Haryana. The plants are likely be launched in 2015-16 and scheduled to be completed by 2021. Two more indigenous reactors of 700 MW generation capacity are also expected to be completed by 2024. Also, the government has given ‘in-principle’ approval for locating nuclear power projects in future, based on both indigenous technologies and with foreign cooperation. Projects involving indigenous technologies and support would be implemented in Haryana, Madhya Pradesh, Karnataka and Rajasthan. And, projects with foreign collaboration are planned in Tamilnadu, Maharashtra, West Bengal, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh. The pre-project activities of all the proposed plants are in progress and these projects will be taken up in phases. The Department of Atomic Energy has set an ambitious target of reaching an installed generation capacity of 63,000 MW by 2031-32, the minister said. According to an official statement by the Department of Atomic Energy, India ranks 13th in terms of electricity generation from nuclear source among the global list of 31 countries generating electricity using nuclear technology. However, the country stands seventh in terms of number of nuclear reactors under operation. According to the release, India’s current installed nuclear power capacity is 5,780 MW, which is expected to increase to 10,080 MW by 2019. With the government taking steps for more nuclear projects, both indigenously and with foreign collaboration, the country will improve its global ranking in terms of electricity generation from nuclear sources.    

April 30, 2015 | 7:46 pm IST.