There
are 21 nuclear power reactors in the country with a total installed capacity of
5780 MW. Of this, a capacity of 3380 MW comprising 13 reactors, is under
International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) safeguards. Of the reactors under
safeguards, one reactor, Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit-1 (RAPS–1) (100
MW) at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan is currently under extended shutdown for
techno-economic assessment for continued operation. The Reactors under IAEA
safeguards are fuelled with imported fuel, obtained as a result of nuclear
cooperation agreements. The remaining reactors are fuelled with indigenous
fuel.
The
current tariff of nuclear power, both from indigenous reactors and from
reactors set up with foreign technical cooperation is comparable with that of
other contemporary base-load electricity generating technologies like coal
based thermal power stations in the region.
The
international cooperation agreements have opened up the possibilities of import
of fuel for reactors under IAEA Safeguards and setting up large capacity
nuclear power reactors in technical cooperation with foreign countries. In this
regard the Government has accorded ‘in principle’ approval of the following
sites, to set up Nuclear Power Plants in a phase-wise manner:
|
Site &
Location
|
In
Cooperation with
|
Capacity
(MW)
|
|
Kudankulam,
Tamil Nadu
|
Russian
Federation
|
4 x 1000
|
|
Haripur,
West Bengal
|
6 x 1000
|
|
Jaitapur,
Maharashtra
|
France
|
6 x 1650
|
|
Kovvada,
Andhra Pradesh
|
United
States of America
|
6 x 1000*
|
|
Chhaya Mithi
Virdi, Gujarat
|
6 x 1000*
|
*Nominal Capacity
The actual percentage increase in power generation, on completion of these projects,
would depend on the generation of electricity from other sources at that point
of time.
This
information was given by the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge)
Development of North-Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public
Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh in reply
to unstarred question in Rajya Sabha today.
*****
NK/KM