NTPC to set up 700-1,600 MW nuclear plants, begins searching for sites

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State-owned electricity producer NTPC plans to set up nuclear power projects with 700 MW, 1,000 MW and 1,600 MW capacity across various locations in the country, a senior company official said.

NTPC is targeting a 30 per cent share (30 GW) of India's proposed 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.

Industry estimates indicate that a 1-GW nuclear plant requires an investment of Rs 15,00020,000 crore and typically takes at least three years from concept to commissioning.

Sharing updates on the company's nuclear expansion plans, the official said NTPC is currently evaluating land options in several states, including Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Andhra Pradesh, among others.

"The capacities of the nuclear projects would be 700 MW, 1,000 MW and 1,600 MW," said the official who is involved in the company's strategic planning.

NTPC will proceed with nuclear development in states identified and approved by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

"The AERB will approve the sites, and NTPC will accordingly implement the projects," the official added.

The company has also begun efforts on the raw material front and is exploring the acquisition of overseas uranium assets.

Uranium, a naturally occurring metallic element, is the primary fuel used in nuclear reactors.

NTPC has already signed a draft agreement with Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) for joint techno-commercial due diligence of uranium assets abroad.

On the technology front, NTPC plans to deploy indigenously developed pressurised heavy-water reactors (PHWRs) for the 700 MW and 1,000 MW plants.

"For the 1,600 MW nuclear projects, we may look for technology collaborations," the official noted.

Established in 1975 as a thermal power generator, NTPC Ltd has steadily expanded and diversified into new energy sources.

According to the NTPC website, the company currently has an installed capacity of 84,848 MW at group-level, spanning coal, gas/liquid fuel, hydro and solar power.

At present, NTPC is setting up a nuclear project in a joint venture (JV) with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) in Rajasthan at an investment of about Rs 42,000 crore.

While NTPC has a 49 per cent stake in ASHVINI (Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd), NPCIL has the majority shareholding of 51 per cent.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of the 4x700 MW Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP) being set up by ASHVINI at Banswara in September.