The Government has accorded ‘In-Principle’ approval for five new sites for locating nuclear power plants in the future, and efforts have been made to procure nuclear fuel from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Canada, said Union Minister of State Dr Jitendra Singh on Wednesday.
The Union Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of 10 indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode, the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.
On progressive completion of the projects under construction and accorded sanction, the nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22480 MW by 2031, said the minister of state (IC) Science & Technology, who is also the minister of state (IC) Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The minister informed that there are 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation and one reactor, KAPP-3 (700 MW) has been connected to the grid on January 10, 2021. In addition, there are 10 reactors (Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) 3&4, KKNPP 5&6 - 4x1000 =4000 MW, 5 indigenous PHWR of 700 MW - 3500 MW, 500 MW PFBR) which are various stages of construction, which will add a total capacity of 8000 MW.
Singh further said that in order to produce fuel for all indigenous PHWRs, Fuel fabrication capacity is augmented in the facilities available at Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Hyderabad and the upcoming facilities at Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), Kota, Rajasthan in order to match with the requirement of existing PHWRs and upcoming PHWRs.
The requirement of uranium for domestic safeguarded nuclear reactors is met by indigenously mined and produced uranium. Moreover, Natural Uranium Ore Concentrate (UOC) is being procured from countries having Inter Governmental Agreement for supply of nuclear fuel. Efforts have been made to procure nuclear fuel from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan, Canada, he added.
