Power major NTPC plans to set up 6,000 MW of nuclear generation capacity over the next few years and is talking to equipment and fuel suppliers for the purpose. “We will have 2,000 MW of nuclear power generation by the middle of 12th Plan (2012-17). Simultaneously, we will start work on two power plants of 2,000 MW each,”
NTPC Chairman and Managing Director T Sankaralingam said. Sankaralingam said the company was talking to equipment and fuel suppliers for the proposed plants. NTPC has been in talks with international players such as GE Energy for setting up the new nuclear facilities and was also engaged in discussions with Thorium Power, a US-based manufacturer of nuclear fuel technology, to establish joint ventures in the country. NTPC is looking at four states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, for setting up these nuclear plants.
“We are looking at these location as water should be available and the area should be unpopulated,” NTPC’s Director Technical R K Jain said. He said the company was waiting for Indo-US nuclear pact to finalise before they decided on the import of uranium. “We would wait for the 123 Agreement to be signed first and the nuclear suppliers to agree, before deciding on the countries we would like to import uranium from. There are 45 countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” Jain said.
The company has already received government clearance to enter into nuclear power generation and has amended its articles of association to enter the segment. NTPC appointed former Atomic Energy Commission secretary S Rajgopal and former executive director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India V K Kaushik as consultants to expedite its move to produce nuclear power.
India currently has a nuclear capacity of about 3,300 MW, less than two per cent of the total installed capacity of 1,28,000 MW, and plans to ramp it to 20,000 MW by 2020. State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India is so far the monopoly in this sector.
NTPC Chairman and Managing Director T Sankaralingam said. Sankaralingam said the company was talking to equipment and fuel suppliers for the proposed plants. NTPC has been in talks with international players such as GE Energy for setting up the new nuclear facilities and was also engaged in discussions with Thorium Power, a US-based manufacturer of nuclear fuel technology, to establish joint ventures in the country. NTPC is looking at four states, including Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra, for setting up these nuclear plants.
“We are looking at these location as water should be available and the area should be unpopulated,” NTPC’s Director Technical R K Jain said. He said the company was waiting for Indo-US nuclear pact to finalise before they decided on the import of uranium. “We would wait for the 123 Agreement to be signed first and the nuclear suppliers to agree, before deciding on the countries we would like to import uranium from. There are 45 countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group,” Jain said.
The company has already received government clearance to enter into nuclear power generation and has amended its articles of association to enter the segment. NTPC appointed former Atomic Energy Commission secretary S Rajgopal and former executive director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India V K Kaushik as consultants to expedite its move to produce nuclear power.
India currently has a nuclear capacity of about 3,300 MW, less than two per cent of the total installed capacity of 1,28,000 MW, and plans to ramp it to 20,000 MW by 2020. State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India is so far the monopoly in this sector.
