India's nuclear power generation to exceed target

05 December 2008

Following the signing of the India-US civil nuclear deal that now enables India to participate in civillian nuclear trade with the US and other suppliers, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar said India would now exceed its nuclear power target of 20,000 MW by 2020.

Addressing the 11th India Power Forum meet in New Delhi yesterday, Kakodkar said ''Two-three nuclear power units will be connected to the national grid next year and they would add about 1,500 MW. The nation now has a capacity to generate 4,120 MW of nuclear power, but due to shortage of nuclear fuel most of the units are running a little over half their capacity.''

''We aim to produce 10,000 MW through PHWRs, about 5,000 MW through imported reactors and about 2,500 MW through Fast Breeder Reactors, he added.

Currently, the country's nuclear power generation capacity is 4,120 MW, but because of an acute shortage of fuel, the actual power generation has been languishing at barely half its capacity.

Electricity produced in India from nuclear reactors was a meagre 2.5 per cent of total power genrated in India last year, but with the signing of the nulear deal, plant capacity utilisation would improve as India can now sign civil nuclear agreements with countries like the US, France, Canada and Russia.

The only nuclear power generating company in India is the state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India, which has a capacity of 4,020 MW.