Key Points

Presently, the installed nuclear power capacity in the country comprises 24 reactors with a total capacity of 8780 MW (excluding RAPS-1 (100 MW) under extended shutdown). In addition, a total capacity of 13,600 MW (including 500 MW PFBR being implemented by BHAVINI) is under different stages of implementation, Minister of State for Atomic Energy Dr Jitendra Singh told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

On the progressive completion of these expansion plans, the country’s installed nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22,380 MW by the year 2031-32, he said.

India’s nuclear power plants generated 56,681 million units (MUs) of electricity in the financial year 2024-25, which constitutes about 3 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country, the minister said..

The government is making efforts to increase the nuclear fuel sources both by augmenting domestic production and imports from diverse sources. It has announced an ambitious nuclear energy mission with a target of reaching a nuclear power capacity of 100 GW by 2047, he added.

In this regard, the government has initiated the processes required for enabling large-scale participation across the public and private sectors in nuclear power, Dr Singh said. The government has also announced measures for enabling R&D in SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) and new advanced technologies. The target is planned to be achieved by deploying reactors based on existing and new advanced technologies under development. SMR refers to a type of nuclear fission reactor that is smaller and more flexible than traditional nuclear power plants. They are designed to be factory-built and assembled in modules, allowing for scalability and easier deployment in various locations.

The minister had, in an earlier discussion in the Parliament, emphasised the unprecedented growth in reactor installations and advancements in nuclear energy generation over the past decade.

"Before 2014, the total budget of the Department of Atomic Energy stood at Rs 13,889 crore. This year, it has expanded to Rs 23,604 crore, marking a 170 per cent increase," he said in the Lok Sabha, underscoring the government's focus on nuclear energy growth.

He also mentioned the 2017 decision by the Union Cabinet, which granted bulk approval for 10 new reactors in a single sitting - an unprecedented move in India’s nuclear history. The recent Union Budget has further bolstered the nuclear sector with the announcement of a dedicated nuclear mission, which includes significant budgetary allocations.

- IANS