Important Points About Nuclear Power in India
Consider the following points about Nuclear Power in India −
· Nuclear power in India is the fourth-largest source of electricity after thermal, hydroelectric, and renewable sources (of electricity).
· India has 22 nuclear reactors operating in 8 nuclear power plants.
· The total installed capacity of nuclear power in India is 6780 MW. This produces 30,292.91 GWh of electricity.
· 6 reactors are under construction, which are expected to produce an additional 4,300 MW electricity.
· The nuclear power plant of Jaitapur (located in Maharashtra) is planned to start in collaboration with France. It is a 9900 MW project.
· The nuclear power plant of Kudankulam (located in Tamil Nadu) is an Indo-Russian collaboration. It is a 2000 MW project.
· The Apsara nuclear research reactor was India’s first nuclear reactor inaugurated in 1957. This was set up with assistance from the UK.
· India’s domestic uranium reserves are limited; hence, India imports uranium from Russia.
· Some other countries with which India has uranium supply agreements are Argentina, Mongolia, Kazakhstan, and Namibia.
· Furthermore, in 2011, the Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD) of India has discovered large deposits of uranium in Tummalapalle belt located in Bhima River basin in Karnataka.
· In this region, about 44,000 tonnes of natural uranium has been discovered.
Nuclear Power Plants in Operation
The following table lists down the functional nuclear power plants −
| Power Plant | Location | Total capacity (MW) | Operator |
| Rawatbhata | Rajasthan | 1,180 | NPCIL |
| Tarapur | Maharashtra | 1,400 | NPCIL |
| Kudankulam | Tamil Nadu | 2,000 | NPCIL |
| Kakrapar | Gujarat | 440 | NPCIL |
| Kalpakkam | Tamil Nadu | 440 | NPCIL |
| Narora | Uttar Pradesh | 440 | NPCIL |
| Kaiga | Karnataka | 880 | NPCIL |
Nuclear Power Plants Under Construction
The following table lists down the nuclear power plants, which are under construction −
| Power Plant | Location | Total capacity (MW) | Operator |
| Rajasthan Unit 7 & 8 | Rajasthan | 1,400 | NPCIL |
| Kakrapar Unit 3 & 4 | Gujarat | 1,400 | NPCIL |
| Madras (Kalpakkam) | Tamil Nadu | 500 | Bhavini |
| Kudankulam | Tamil Nadu | 2,000 | NPCIL |
Planned Nuclear Power Plants
The following table lists down the planned nuclear power plant projects −
| Power station | Location | Total capacity (MW) |
| Jaitapur | Maharashtra | 9,900 |
| Kovvada | Andhra Pradesh | 6,600 |
| t.b.d. (MithiVirdi (Viradi)) | Gujarat | 6,600 |
| t.b.d. (Haripur) | West Bengal | 6,000 |
| Gorakhpur | Haryana | 2,800 |
| Bhimpur | Madhya Pradesh | 2,800 |
| Mahi Banswara | Rajasthan | 2,800 |
| Kaiga | Karnataka | 1,400 |
| Chutka | Madhya Pradesh | 1,400 |
| Madras | Tamil Nadu | 1,200 |
| Tarapur | Maharashtra | 300 |
