NTPC Ltd, India’s largest electricity producing company, has been assured land by three state governments for setting up nuclear power plants, government officials in know of the development have told Moneycontrol.
Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh have identified land parcels for NTPC to build nuclear power plants in their states.
“The land parcels on offer have been communicated to NTPC. As a next step, NTPC has sought assurance from the states for water availability and unrestricted supply of the same. Once that is cleared, NTPC will begin geotechnical studies on the identified land parcels,” one of the officials cited above said.
The three states will be the first where NTPC’s newly incorporated subsidiary, NTPC Parmanu Urja Nigam Ltd (NPUNL), will set up plants.
NTPC plans to spend at least $60 billion on nuclear energy projects over the next two decades.
A unit of twin reactors of 700 megawatt (MW) each requires 70 million cubic meters (MCM) of water annually, making it a vital consideration while planning a nuclear power plant.
To put the number in perspective, 70 MCM is enough water to fill 28,000 Olympic-sized swimming pools and supply about seven lakh people with 100 litres of water a day for a whole year.
Thermal plants, which are carbon-intense, also consume the same amount of water, sometimes even more, but nuclear power plants are a cleaner source of energy.
It is estimated that a 1400 MW nuclear power plant (with twin reactors of 700 MW each) can supply electricity to about 9 million Indian households a year, assuming a household consumes 1200 kWh power in a year.
While the timelines for these projects are yet to be specified, the government is working on reducing the turnaround time for setting up nuclear power plants from the current 13 years to about eight.
Of India’s target of 100 gigawatt (GW) nuclear energy capacity by 2047, NTPC has been mandated to build at least 30 GW. It plans to use a mix of technologies — pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and small modular reactors (SMRs), apart from any new technology that emerges.
Also read: India-UK trade deal opens doors for export of Indian nuclear reactors.
Gujarat, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh will be the first solo projects taken up by NTPC. These will be different from the Mahi Banswara project in Rajasthan, which NTPC is executing through a joint venture (JV) with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd.
Moneycontrol has written how NTPC Ltd is stealing a march over its rivals in accelerating its nuclear energy plans. This is because the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, allows a company whose board is appointed by the government of India (like NTPC) to get into the nuclear energy business. So, unlike state governments and private entities, NTPC does not have to wait for the Atomic Energy Act to be amended.
Amendments to two crucial nuclear energy laws — the Atomic Energy Act and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act — are being reviewed by the government.
Once Parliament clears the changes, state governments and the private sector will be able to participate in the nuclear power sector.
India’s nuclear power capacity is 8.8 GW, which is projected to grow to 22.48 GW by 2031-32 and to 100 GW by 2047.
To meet the target, India has announced a National Nuclear Energy Mission with a budgetary outlay of Rs 20,000 crore for research and development in small modular reactor technologies.
Also read: RIL, Adani, Tata, others look to partner NPCIL in nuclear energy push to lower emissions.
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