On April 6, 2023, the Atomic Energy Minister Dr. Jitendra Singh announced in the Parliament that the centre has approved the plan of installation of ten nuclear reactors in five states across India.
The Minister further informed that during the 2021-2022, the nuclear power reactors generated 47, 112 million units of electricity which comprises of 3.15 percent total electricity generated in the country.
In a written reply to the Lok Sabha, the Minister said that the government has roped in Public Sector Undertakings (PSU) for installing the reactors or the exercise would be done exclusively by specialised government agencies.
“The present installed nuclear power capacity is set to increase from 6780MW to 22480MW by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded sanction. The Government has also accorded the ‘in principle’ approval for new sites to set up nuclear reactors in the future.” Dr Jitendra Singh said in his written reply.
He added that the centre has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for 10 Indigenous Heavy Water Reactors of 700MW each in fleet mode. The ten reactors will come up in Karnataka, Rajasthan, Haryana, Madhya Pradesh.
Two nuclear reactors will each be installed in Kaiga, Chutka and Gorakhpur nuclear power plants while the Mahi Banswara nuclear powerplant in Rajasthan will get four nuclear reactors.
In a statement, released by the Department of Atomic Energy, states that “The Government has amended the Atomic Energy Act in 2015 to set up nuclear power projects. They will be set up in Fleet Mode progressively by the year 2031 at a cost of 1,05,000 crores.”
Talking about Indian space missions, he said that the American Space Agency NASA and ISRO (Indian Space Research Organisation) have jointly manufactured an earth science satellite named NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).
It is to be noted that the spacecraft arrived in India last month for integration and final tests before it is launched from Sriharikota.
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