State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) is set to add over 2,600 Mw to the national grid by 2010 from its five under-construction units as it hopes for assured fuel supplies from the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) countries.
“Five nuclear power units, which are being constructed by NPCIL, have a total capacity of 2,660 Mw. These are expected to be connected to the national grid (for commercial use) by 2010,” said NPCIL CMD SK Jain.
The capacity utilisation of the country’s 4,120-Mw power plants came down from 90 per cent in 2001-02 to 54 per cent in 2007-08. But with the NSG lifting the embargo and allowing India to carry out nuclear commerce, it is believed that the country can get off the ground and take forward its civil nuclear energy plans.
Asked about the new capacities, Jain said any fresh capacity addition in nuclear energy as a result of imports would take at least five more years. “It is a well-known fact that it takes 50-60 months to set up a nuclear power plant after all approvals are obtained. As such, any fresh capacity addition due to imports will take at least five years,” he said.
Operationalisation of the 123 Agreement, including the exchange of diplomatic notes, and fixing a date when the deal will come into force, are likely to take four months (up to December 2008). Bilateral agreements for civil nuclear cooperation with other countries will take two months, while amendments to the Indian Atomic Energy Act, 1962, for opening up the sector to private companies will need parliamentary approval.
Besides, enacting the Civilian Nuclear Liability Law will take one House session (a month-and-a-half), while acquiring the fuel needed for pressurised heavy water reactors running at low capacity will take around six months. Then there are formal accords with different countries and the International Atomic Energy Agency.
NPCIL, which has been spearheading India’s nuclear power programme, has 17 reactors under operations.