India to attain 20,000 mw nuclear power capacity by ’20

Our Corporate Bureau

Mumbai, Dec 3: The Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar on Monday announced that India was geared to achieve 20,000 MW of nuclear power by the year 2020. He said that by the end of the 11th Plan (2012), nearly 9,900 mw of nuclear power would be produced as all prerequisites including funds were being taken care of.

Dr Kakodkar told reporters after attending the 18th department of atomic energy safety occupational health professional meet at Tarapur plant that talks with private parties, including the Russians were at a preliminary stage and the talks were quite encouraging.
“We are planning two units of 500 MW each at Tarapur, two units of 220 MW each at Kaiga and Rajasthan and two 1000 MW units at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu,” he said. On the mode of payment for the Russian nuclear plants at Kudankulam, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) chairman and managing director VK Chaturvedi said 50 per cent of the cost would be funded by Russian Federation as credit while the balance 50 per cent by the Centre in 14 installments.

On the funding of the forthcoming 5 and 6 units in Rajasthan, Mr Chaturvedi said NPCIL had saved some funds from its Kaiga 3 and 4 plants and had requested the government to divert that fund for Rajasthan plants.

Dr Kakodkar said thorium was the most important source of energy for India in the future as the country has one-third of the world’s thorium source.

Under the 11th Plan, work has already begun on a 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor at Kakpakkam.

He added that an advanced heavy water reactor would be set up at Tarapur for the utilisation of thorium for power generation.
Commenting on other activities of the department of atomic energy, Dr Kakodkar said desalination plant construction was in progress at Kalpakkam which would generate 6300 cubic metre potable water a day. The plant is expected to go on stream next year. According to Dr Kakodkar, work on accelerators is also in progress at the Centre for Advanced Technology at Indore and SAMEER in Mumbai. Similar work has been taken up by the Electron Beam Centre at Navi Mumbai for three billion electron volt accelerator in coordination with BARC.