NPCIL plans to set up 8 heavy water reactors

Kolkata: Mr S.K. Jain, Chairman of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), today said that India may do without private investment in nuclear power generation during the Eleventh Plan period (2007-2012).

Talking to newspersons on the sidelines of the Indian Chemical Engineering Congress (CHEMCON), 2007, Mr Jain said that NPCIL and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI) together planned to add over 6000 MW of generation capacity during next five to seven years. This matches the Eleventh Plan capacity growth through domestic programmes.

Of the total, NPCIL plans to set up eight high pressure heavy water reactors of 700 MW each requiring an investment of approximately Rs 30,000 crore. BHAVINI – a Department of Atomic Energy enterprise based at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu – will set up a 500 MW fast breeder reactor.

On whether NPCIL can take all the projects in its balance sheet, Mr Jain said, “We are a cash rich company with Rs 11,000 crore of reserve and surplus. We are ready to execute the projects.”