The Government has accorded ‘In-Principle’ approval for five new sites for locating nuclear power plants in future, Parliament was informed on Wednesday.
The Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for the construction of 10 indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode, Minister of State in the PMO, Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.
He said, on progressive completion of the projects under construction and accorded sanction, the nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22480 MW by 2031.
The Minister informed that there are presently 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 – 4×1000 =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.
Further, 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 are met by indigenously mined and produced uranium. Moreover, Natural Uranium Ore Concentrate (UOC) is being procured from countries having Inter-Governmental Agreement for the supply of nuclear fuel. Efforts have been made to procure nuclear fuel from Russia, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Canada.