Indian Government sets target to triple nuclear generation by 2024

• 7 years ago (2017-03-23)
• David Flin

Asia 892 Nuclear 660

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The Indian Government has announced that it is expediting the process of setting up new nuclear power plants in the country, with the expectation of reaching 15 GW of capacity by 2024.

India’s current nuclear power generation capacity is 4780 MW. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State with the Prime Minister’s Office, said that government has taken a number of steps to fast-track all ongoing nuclear projects, and setting up new plants in different parts of the country. He said: “When we came to power in 2014, we had set a target of increasing nuclear power capacity by three times in 10 years, and we are on course to reach that target.”

The Minister said that there had to be sufficient uranium available. Singh said that the government was actively pursuing the process of acquiring uranium from different sources, including exploration in new places like Bihar and Maghalaya. He said that for the first time, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India has been allowed to set up joint venture nuclear plants along with Public Sector Undertakings.

The Minister said that the third stage of India’s nuclear power programme contemplates using thorium along with uranium-233 as fuel in thorium-based reactors.

Singh said: “The developmental activities include studies in thorium extraction, fuel fabrication and irradiation, reprocessing studies including construction of an engineering-scale power reactor, thorium reprocessing facility, and setting up of U-233 fuelled Purnima and KAMINI research reactors.” He said that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and research organisations attached with DAE are engaged in various R&D activities to address the utilisation of thorium in different types of reactors.