Nuclear Power Corp presages profits tripling

Nuclear Power Corporation Ltd (NPCIL) has targeted a three fold increase in turnover to Rs 12,000 crore while profits were also expected to rise three times to Rs 1,000 crore in the next two to three years.

"With as many as eight new projects scheduled to commission in different time over the next two years, total installed capacity of NPCIL will increase from 2720 MW to 7220 MW in the next two to three years," explained Anil Kakodkar, chairman Atomic Energy Commission.

"A 100 per cent plant load factor at most of NPCIL's plant have translated into profits being a little less than one third of our turnover and we also hope to retain this for the new plants being commissioned," explained S P Sukhatme, chairman Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.

Cost of setting up a MW of nuclear powered plant was around Rs 4.7 crore "" a little over the cost of thermal plants while the average cost of generation was Rs 2.4.

"Our average cost of generation was little higher because we also operate plants that are 30 to 35 years old. But for new plants the cost of generation was Rs 1.2 or so," said Sukhatme.

Projects in the pipeline were pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) unit 3 and 4 at Tarapur each 540 MW "" expected to be completed by October 2005 and July 2006 respectively.

The ones at Kaiga were scheduled to be completed by December 2006 and June 2007. Capacities envisaged were 220 MW each. It has also commissioned two projects in Rajasthan "" unit 5 and 6 of 220 MW each, expected to be complete by May and November 2007 respectively.

At Kudankulam, in Tamilnadu, NPCIL has also commissioned 2 x 1000 MW projects with collaboration with Russia. Unit - 1 was expected to be ready by 2007, while the second would be commissioned in 2008.

The company has also initiated work on a 500 MW prototype for breeder reactor at Kalapakkam which will pave the way for making use to thorium at such reactors. The idea was to gradually phase out all uranium based rectors with thorium based ones.

"The long term plan is to set up 20,000 MW of generation facility by 2020 while in the first phase the company aims to set up 11,000 MW, of which 4,500 MW has already been commissioned," he added.

"The 500 MW prototype at Kalapakkam was to pave the way for use of thorium based reactors in India," Kakodkar explained.