No plan to allow pvt sector in nuclear power, govt tells LS

Chennai, Sep 16 (IANS) The central government on Wednesday told the Lok Sabha that it has no plan to allow non-governmental/private sector into nuclear power generation.

The Centre also said that it had given administrative approval and financial sanction for building 12 nuclear power reactors in the country with an aggregate generation capacity of 9,000 MW.

Of these, 10 will be indigenous 700-MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and two light water reactors (LWRs) with Russian cooperation, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

The 10 PHWRs will come up in Chutka in Madhya Pradesh (2×700 MW), Kaiga in Karnataka (2×700 MW), Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan (4×700 MW), and Gorakhpur in Haryana (2×700 MW).

The two 1,000 MW LWRs will come up in Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

Answering another question, Singh said India currently has 22 nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of 6,780 MW.

In addition, nine reactors, with a total capacity of 6,700 MW are presently under construction.

The capital investment for the nuclear power projects is being funded with a debt to equity ratio of 70:30.

The equity part is funded from internal resources of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and government budgetary support.

–IANS

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