India aims nuclear power capacity of 22480 MW by 2031

Tags: Economics/Business

The Government of India has set a target of  22480 MW of installed nuclear power capacity by 2031. At present the installed nuclear capacity in India is 6780 MW.

The government has approved the construction of 10 indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW capacity each and 500 MW of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). Government expects these projects to be completed by 2031 and the total installed capacity in India will be 22480 MW by 2031. 

The Government of India  has  also informed the Parliament  that it has approved the proposal to set up a few new Nuclear power plants in India.

The  newly approved Nuclear Power plants are 

Operational Nuclear Power Plant in India 

• Kaiga(Karnataka):  installed capacity 880 MW

• Kalpakkam (Tamil Nadu),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Kakrapar (Gujarat),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Narora (Uttar Pradesh ),Installed capacity 440 MW

• Tarapur (Maharashtra ),Installed capacity 1440 MW

• Rajasthan Atomic power plant , Rawatbhata, Installed capacity 1180 MW

• Kudankulam (Tamil Nadu). It is being built by Russia,  Installed capacity 2000 MW

Presently, India has 22 nuclear power reactors operating in 7 states, with an installed capacity of 6780 MW.

Important for Exam 

• The Atomic Energy Commission was set up in August 1948 and Dr Homi Jhangir Bhahba was its  first director.

• Dr Homi Jahngir Bhabha is considered to be the father of the Indian Atomic programme.

• The first nuclear reactor of India and Asia was set up in Mumbai and became operational in 1956. It was a nuclear research reactor named APSARA.It was shut down in 2009.

• The first nuclear power plant in India was set up at Tarapur,Maharstra in 1969. It was set up with the help of the United States.