With Russia and France failing to make any headway in convincing China to drop its reservations against India's entry into the elite Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), the Union Cabinet, in a policy decision on Wednesday, approved construction of indigenous pressurised heavy water (PHWR) reactors. These reactors use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as both moderator and coolant. India has rich natural uranium deposits at Tummallapalle in Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh.
The Cabinet approved construction of ten more nuclear power plants of 700 megawatt each — using the indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) — to cross 20,000-megawatt in the total nuclear power generation in the country by 2022. Power Minister Piyush Goyal, who briefed the media did not give proposed location of the new plants that will cost Rs 70,000 crore to the exchequer nor their deadline, but noted that India's installed nuclear power capacity from 22 plants is 6,780 MW while other plants under construction will produce another 6,700 MW by 2021-22.
He said it would be one of the flagship 'Make in India' projects in the nuclear power sector, pushing the first of its kind project to install the new plants in fleet mode as a fully homegrown initiative. "The project will help transform Indian nuclear industry by linking our goal of a strong nuclear power sector with our indigenous industrial capacities in high-end technologies," Goyal said. Even addition of 7,000 MW of the nuclear power would be only a pittance as India's total installed power generation capacity is today three lakh MW.
The minister said the ten reactors to be installed for the nuclear power will have a state-of-art technology meeting the highest standards of safety. He said the design and development of this project is a testament to the rapid advances achieved by India's nuclear scientific community and industry. "It underscores the mastery our nuclear scientists have attained over all aspects of indigenous PHWR technology. India's record of building and operating PHWR reactors over the last nearly 40 years is globally acclaimed," he added.
The department of atomic energy has a target of about 63 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2032. India had been actively pursuing a deal to purchase six reactors from the US-based Westinghouse Electric Corp. But the China putting spokes at India's membership to NSG, which would have assured an uninterrupted nuclear fuel supply has been delaying setting up these reactors.
...& ANALYSIS
- The department of atomic energy has a target of about 63 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2032.
- India had been actively pursuing a deal to purchase six reactors from the US-based Westinghouse Electric Corp.
- But the China putting spokes at India’s membership to NSG, which would have assured an uninterrupted nuclear fuel supply, has been delaying setting up of these reactors.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Nuclear energy")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}