Nuclear Power Generation capacity meets less than 2% of India's Electricity requirement - a gross under-capacity for an energy-starved developing nation.
The state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited [NPCIL] is, currently, the sole entity authorised to build & operate a Nuclear Power Plant [NPP] in the country. With 21 NPPs in operation, capable of generating around 5,780 MWe energy annually, Nuclear power generation is a case-study in unrealised potentials. Greenhouse gas emitting Thermal Power Plants, in comparison, have a generating capacity of almost 200,000 MWe [source: page 22].
This illustration, below, shows the locations of all NPCIL-operated NPP, across India. The blue legend indicates a proposed NPP at that location.
The 2005 Indo-US Nuclear Deal gave international participants the proverbial "go-ahead" for engaging with India in Nuclear Commerce. The proposed 1000+ MWe NPP, indicated in the illustration above, are the ones that NPCIL plans to setup, using equipment sourced from these overseas entities. Listed, below, the details of these proposed Power stations.
Besides plants of foreign design, India's indigenous NPP is based on the use of Heavy Water as Moderator, called the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor [PHWR]. Starting with the design & deployment of 220 MWe plants, the design has been incrementally scaled up to 540 MWe, introducing improved features &, now, India is in the process of setting up 700 MWe NPP of indigenous design. Larsen & Tubro [L&T], recently, reported supplying the Steam Generator to be used in the 1st 700 MWe plant coming up at the existing Kakrapar Atomic Power Station [KAPS] facility in Gujarat.
International Projects | ||||||||
No. | Location | Proposed Units | State | Country | Company | Unit Capacity [MW-e] | Type | Moderator- Coolant |
1 | Kudankulam | 3-6 | Tamil Nadu | Russia | Atomstroyexport | 1000* | VVER-1000* | LWR |
2 | Jaitapur | 1-6 | Maharashtra | France | Areva | 1650 | European Pressurized Reactors [EPR] | |
3 | Kovvada | 1-6 | Andhra Pradesh | USA, Japan | GE-Hitachi | 1600 | Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor [ESBWR] | |
4 | Haripur | 1-6 | West Bengal | Russia | Atomstroyexport | 1000# | VVER-1000# | |
5 | Mithi Virdi | 1-6 | Gujarat | USA, Japan | Westinghouse-Toshiba | 1100 | 2-loop Pressurized Water Reactor [PWR] |
Besides plants of foreign design, India's indigenous NPP is based on the use of Heavy Water as Moderator, called the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor [PHWR]. Starting with the design & deployment of 220 MWe plants, the design has been incrementally scaled up to 540 MWe, introducing improved features &, now, India is in the process of setting up 700 MWe NPP of indigenous design. Larsen & Tubro [L&T], recently, reported supplying the Steam Generator to be used in the 1st 700 MWe plant coming up at the existing Kakrapar Atomic Power Station [KAPS] facility in Gujarat.
The list below provides details of the indigenous NPP proposed to be set up in India, in addition to the ones already under construction.
Indian Projects | |||||||
No. | Location | Proposed Units | State | Company | Unit Capacity [MW-e] | Type | |
1 | Gorakhpur | 1-4 | Haryana | NPCIL | 700 | Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor [PHWR] | |
2 | Chutka | 1 & 2 | Madhya Pradesh | ||||
Bhimpur | 1-4 | ||||||
3 | Mahi Banswara | 1 & 2 | Rajasthan | ||||
4 | Kaiga | 5 & 6 | Karnataka | ||||
5 | Kalpakkam | 1 | Tamil Nadu | IGCAR-NPCIL [BHAVINI] | 500 | Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor [PFBR] | |
6 | 1 | 300 | Advanced Heavy Water Reactor [AHWR] |
Godspeed
Also read: Bhabha, Ramanna & The Men Who Nurtured India's Nuclear Dream
* - While Units 3&4 have been reported to be VVER-1000 design, Units 5 & 6 could be the more advanced VVER-1200. Earlier report had indicated that all remaining 4 Units would be the VVER-1200 design
# - The VVER-1000 is a tentative design, as the project itself isn't on very firm grounds. Once confirmed, one may see the VVER-1200 design being setup
* - While Units 3&4 have been reported to be VVER-1000 design, Units 5 & 6 could be the more advanced VVER-1200. Earlier report had indicated that all remaining 4 Units would be the VVER-1200 design
# - The VVER-1000 is a tentative design, as the project itself isn't on very firm grounds. Once confirmed, one may see the VVER-1200 design being setup