India to Commission 21 Nuclear Reactors by 2031

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Written by Martin Lynch, European News Editor for Industrial Info (Galway, Ireland)--India's government has given details of plans to commission 21 new nuclear reactors by 2031, almost doubling the size of its existing fleet.

Minister of State for Science and Technology Jitendra Singh informed the Lok Sabha, the lower house of Parliament, on the current progress of the country's massive nuclear development, with 11 of the projects close to completion or under construction. These plants will add 8,700 megawatts (MW) of electricity to the grid. Ten others have been granted government approval and funding support to be built in "fleet mode" with the goal of reducing costs and speeding up construction time.

Industrial Info is tracking the new projects of Kaiga 5 & 6 in Karnataka state, Gorakhpur 3 & 4 in Haryana, Chutka 1 & 2 in Madhya Pradesh and Mahi Banswara 1 & 2 and 3 & 4 in Rajasthan. Each will be rated at 700 MW and combined will add a further 7,000 MW of electricity generation. Singh said that the government has, in principle, approved five new sites for future nuclear power plants.

"Nuclear power can provide the country with clean base-load power and reduce dependence on coal and traditional sources of energy in the long run. Nuclear Power would also supplement clean renewable energy," Singh told Parliament.

Earlier this year, officials of India's Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) outlined the construction order of the new projects to the parliamentary panel on science and technology: "The first pouring of concrete (FPC) of Kaiga units 5 & 6 is expected in 2023; FPC of Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Praiyonjan units 3 & 4 and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects units 1 to 4 is expected in 2024; and that of Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project units 1 & 2 in 2025." Using the fleet mode, the DAE claimed that from FPC, each plant could be completed in five years.

Today, India operates 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6,780 MW. At last year's COP 26 climate talks in Glasgow, Scotland, India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi presented his country's ambitious plan for reducing emissions, with nuclear power and renewables playing key roles. "In the midst of this global brainstorming on climate change, on behalf of India, I would like to present five key elements to deal with this challenge. First - India will reach its non-fossil energy capacity of 500-gigawatts (GW) by 2030. Second - India will meet 50% of its energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030. Third - India will reduce the total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now onwards till 2030. Fourth - by 2030, India will reduce the carbon intensity of its economy by less than 45% and fifth, by the year 2070, India will achieve the target of net-zero."

Modi said he expects developed nations to support this transformation process with up to US$1 trillion in contributions.

India is the world's fourth biggest emitter of carbon dioxide after China, the U.S. and the European Union (EU), according to European Commission data.

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