NTPC, NPCIL sign agreement for developing nuclear power plants

New Delhi [India], May 2 : NTPC on Monday signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) in New Delhi, for the development of nuclear power projects.

According to a statement from the power ministry, initially, the Joint Venture (JV) company shall develop two pressurized heavy-water reactor (PHWR) projects Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project 2x700 MW and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 4x700 MW, which were identified as a part of fleet mode nuclear projects.

"This Supplementary Joint Venture Agreement marks a pivotal step for NTPC and NPCIL to collaborate and cooperate in the field of development of Nuclear Power projects which shall help the country in meeting its Clean Energy Commitments to achieve net zero emission target by 2070," the Ministry added.

The agreement was signed by Ujjwal Kanti Bhattacharya, Director Projects, NTPC, and Ranjay Sharan, Director Projects, NPCIL, in the presence of RK Singh, Minister of Power, New & Renewable Energy, K N Vyas, Secretary of the department of atomic energy (DAE) and Chairman Atomic Energy Commission; Alok Kumar, Secretary, Ministry of Power; Gurdeep Singh, CMD NTPC; B C Pathak, CMD NPCIL and senior officials of the ministry of power and department of atomic energy.

Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh on April 5 this year informed the Rajya Sabha that it gave bulk approval for the installation of 10 nuclear reactors.

In a statement laid on the floor of the Lok Sabha, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh had said the Government has roped in PSUs for the installation of the nuclear reactors or the exercise would be done exclusively by the specialized Government agencies.

The Government has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for 10 indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors of 700 MW each in fleet mode.

The minister also informed the Rajya Sabha that National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) and the Indian Space Research Orgzation (ISRO) have jointly manufactured an earth science satellite named, NISAR (NASA-ISRO Synthetic Aperture Radar).

On April 5, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Jitendra Singh informed the House that during 2021-22 nuclear power reactors generated 47112 million units of electricity, which comprises about 3.15 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country.

In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha on April 5, Jitendra Singh said, the present installed nuclear power capacity is set to increase from 6780 MW to 22480 MW by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded sanction. The Government has also accorded 'in principle' approval for new sites to set up nuclear reactors in future.

On February 9, the department of atomic energy said India's Nuclear Power capacity witnessed a quantum jump after 2014, when Narendra Modi took over as the Prime Minister.

Going by the exact figures, during 2013-14 if the annual nuclear power generation stood at 35,333 million units, in the latest year of 2021-22 it stands at 47,112 million units which is nearly 30 to 40 per cent increase within a short span of over eight and a half years.

This was stated in New Delhi by Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space during a discussion in the Rajya Sabha on nuclear power reactors, on February 9, 2023.

The Minister cited a number of path-breaking out-of-the-box decisions taken by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to supplement the rise of nuclear power generation in India.

For example, he said, if there were only 22 reactors in the country before this government came in, the Cabinet headed by Prime Minister Modi gave simultaneous bulk approval for as many as 11 indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors in 2017 at a total cost of Rs.1,05,000 crore and a total capacity of 7,000 megawatt, according to a statement from the department of atomic energy.

Jitendra Singh also said in another revolutionary decision as was done in the case of the space department which was unlocked for private players, Prime Minister Narendra Modi also allowed joint ventures with Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) to augment India's nuclear programme.

Following a decision to this effect in 2015, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is present in two joint ventures one with National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) and the other with Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL).

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