The government on Wednesday said that India’s installed nuclear power capacity has grown from 4,780 MW to 6,780 MW in the last seven years, an increase of over 40 per cent.
Dr Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Department of Space and Atomic Energy, said in response to a question in the Lok Sabha that the country is pursuing an indigenous three-stage nuclear power program to provide long-term energy security in a sustainable manner.
“In addition, light water reactors based on foreign collaboration are also being installed as an addition. A major nuclear power expansion program is being launched to provide clean electricity to the country,” he said in a written reply. “
“In the last seven years, the installed nuclear power capacity has increased from 4780 MW to 6780 MW, which is an increase of over 40 per cent,” Singh said.
Replying to another question, the Minister said that the current annual production of uranium in the country is not sufficient to meet the annual fuel requirement of all operational uranium based nuclear power plants.
Singh said, “However, we are continuously exploring the possibility of alternative fuel based on thorium in this regard, for which we have sufficient reserves. In addition, the department is also importing uranium from various countries like Canada, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan and Russia. Has been doing.”
The Directorate of Atomic Minerals Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has the authority to identify, evaluate and enrich the mineral resources of Uranium, Thorium, Niobium, Tantalum, Beryllium, Lithium, Zirconium. Titanium and rare earths containing uranium and thorium in the country, he said.
“As of November 2021, AMD has installed 3,58,496 tonnes
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