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.
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 |
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 |
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 |