Centre to include private sector in boosting nuclear power capacity: Report

The NITI Aayog will come up with guidelines and regulations for new small modular nuclear reactors keeping in mind the safety standards and the impact on local communities

To supplement India's green energy programme, the Centre will soon incentivise the private sector to set up small modular nuclear power plants under the public-private partnership (PPP) model. The NITI Aayog will soon start consultations with stakeholders for the same, a report in the Economic Times (ET) said. 

Small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) require less capital and space than traditional nuclear power plants. They have a power generation capacity of 300 MW per unit, one-third of regular nuclear plants. It generally takes five years to make one SMR. 

NITI Aayog will also issue guidelines and regulations keeping in mind the safety standards and the impact on local communities. 

The decision is in line with India's commitment to reduce carbon emissions by half by 2030 and to become a net-zero carbon emitter by 2070. By volume, it is currently the third-largest emitter of carbon dioxide. Its per capita emissions, however, are lower than the global average.

In a written reply to Lok Sabha on Wednesday, minister of state Jitendra Singh said that India will commission 20 nuclear plants by 2031. They will generate an additional 15,000 MW. 

The first of these 20 nuclear power plants, a 700 MW unit, is expected to be commissioned in 2023 at Kakrapar in Gujarat, which already has three atomic power generating units operational. The 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam is likely to be operational in 2024, followed by two 1,000 MW units at Kudankulam in 2025.

Two 700 MW units at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan are likely to be completed by 2026, while another two 1,000 MW units are likely to be completed at Kudankulam by 2027. Two 700 MW units are expected to be completed at Gorakhpur in Haryana by 2029, Singh said.