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Govt. sets target to triple Nuclear Power
Generation by 2024
Nuclear power generation capacity in the country
is expected to reach nearly 15,000 MW by 2024
as the government has expedited the process
of setting up new plants, Lok Sabha was informed
today.
In 2014, India's nuclear power generation
capacity was 4,780 MW.
Minister of State for PMO Jitendra Singh said
a number of steps have been taken by the Narendra
Modi government to fast-track all ongoing
nuclear projects and setting up of new plants
in different parts of the country.
"When we came to power in 2014, we had set
a target of generating nuclear power by three
time in 10 years and we hope to reach that
target," he said during Question Hour.
The Minister, however, said for generating
targeted nuclear power, there has to be enough
uranium available - both from domestic as
well as foreign sources.
Singh said the government was actively pursuing
the process of acquiring uranium from different
sources, including exploration in new places
like Bihar and Meghalaya.
He said for the first time, the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India has been allowed to go
for setting up of joint venture nuclear plants
along with Public Sector Undertakings.
The Minister said the third stage of India's
nuclear power programme contemplates using
thorium along with uranium- 233 as fuel in
thorium-based reactors.
With sustained efforts of years, India has
gained experience over the entire thorium
fuel cycle on a semi- industrial scale, he
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 uranium-233 fuelled Purnima
and KAMINI research reactors," he said.
Singh said 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, including efforts aimed at enlarging
the existing thorium cycle experience to a
bigger scale.
