N-power production to increase to 17,400 MW: Narayanasamy

The government is taking steps to take nuclear power production in India to 17,400 MW in the next three years from the present installed capacity of 4,780 MW, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V. Narayanasamy said here Wednesday.

Narayanasamy told reporters at the Congress party headquarters here that the country had gained from the civil nuclear deal with the US and was getting imported fuel in sufficient quantity.

"We would be reaching 17,400 MW capacity by 2017. The total capacity would be 27,480 MW by 2023-24," he said.

Pitching for nuclear power, he said it was "very cheap" compared to other sources of power such as coal.

He said about six percent of the country's power production was through nuclear power whereas it was nearly 74 percent in France.

He said that United Progressive Alliance government has taken several steps to increase nuclear power production and agreements were being signed with various countries.

"It is one of our achievements," he said.