The government is looking to reduce the turnaround time for setting up nuclear power plants from the current average of 13 years to 8 years, senior officials privy to the development told Moneycontrol.
Globally, the average time taken to build a nuclear power plant is between 6 to 8 years, though construction period can vary significantly, according to Hannah Ritchie of Our World in Data, a data analytics platform.
India has 25 nuclear reactors in operation in eight nuclear power plants, with a total installed capacity of 8,880 MW (8.8 GW), which the Centre wants to increase to 100 GW by 2047. As of now, only an additional capacity of 15 GW has been approved.
"With just 22 years in hand to go from 8.8 GW to 100 GW, it is fairly clear that the current rate of installation will not work. Hence, the government is working across ministries to cut the turnaround time by five years for nuclear power plants. The processes that will be expedited under this include multiple clearances, field surveys, feasibility studies and land acquisition," said one official from the Ministry of Power, which has been mandated to build at least 30 GW nuclear power plants by 2047.
In an exclusive interview to Moneycontrol in March this year, Bhuwan Chandra Pathak, the chairman and managing director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), the only enterprise that builds and operates nuclear power plants in India said the biggest challenge in achieving the 100 GW target is land and pre-project activities, which alone take about five years. "Thereafter, NPCIL has set a benchmark of connecting reactors to the grid in record 63 months (5 years and 25 days)," he added.
The government also has plans to build nuclear power plants on 'fleet mode', which means setting up multiple reactors and plants simultaneously to reduce project timelines. Besides streamlined procurement, global collaborations and technological advancements too are being leveraged for faster capacity addition.
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Talking to reporters on June 10, Union Minister for Power Manohar Lal Khattar said the government is also trying to set up at least one nuclear power plant in every state that does not fall under seismic zone 5, areas having highest earthquake risk. Indian areas that fall under seismic zone 5 include parts of Jammu and Kashmir (Kashmir valley); western part of Himachal Pradesh; eastern part of Uttarakhand, Kutch in Gujarat; part of Northern Bihar; all northeastern states of India and the Andaman & Nicobar Islands.
"Many states are enthusiastic about having nuclear power plants in their region and have also identified locations. We have asked almost all states, except those falling under seismic zone 5, to identify land parcels for setting up nuclear plants," Khattar said.
Of the 100 GW, public sector undertakings (PSUs) would do the heavy lifting with NPCIL alone executing 50 GW worth of nuclear projects, NTPC 30 GW and the rest 20 GW will be open to state governments and the private sector.
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India is promoting nuclear energy primarily to bolster energy security, meet growing energy demands, and align with its climate goals. Nuclear power is seen as a reliable, low-carbon source of baseload power, crucial for India's economic growth and sustainability aspirations. The country has aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2070.
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