Chennai, Jul 29 (IANS): India's nuclear power generation capacity is expected to touch 22,480 MW by 2031 from the present 6,780 MW with 22 reactors.
According to the central government one more atomic power plant with 700 MW (Unit 3 at Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP), Gujarat) was connected to the grid in January this year.
When the third unit at KAPP starts commercial generation then the total atomic power generation capacity will go up to 7,480 MW.
The KAPP-3 unit is expected to start commercial generation this September, S.K. Sharma, Chairman & Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) had told IANS earlier.
The government said currently there are 10 reactors (including 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor -PFBR- belonging to Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd-Bhavini) totalling to 8,000 MW under construction at various stages.
The Government has also accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for construction of 10 indigenous 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) to be set up in fleet mode.
On progressive completion of the projects under construction and accorded sanction, the total nuclear capacity is expected to reach 22,480 MW by 2031 (NPCIL's capacity 21,980 MW, Bhavini 500 MW).
"This fiscal we will be spending about Rs 18,000 crore as capital expenditure on our ongoing projects. The funding will be through a mix of internal accruals, central government budgetary support and long term borrowings. The first two will be about 30 per cent and the borrowings will be about 70 per cent of the project cost," Sharma had said.
Meanwhile the commissioning status of the PFBR remains unknown.