Kamal Ghorui
NEW DELHI: NTPC will soon approach the Centre with the feasibility report for its first nuclear energy plant in the country, as India looks to increase its atomic power capacity from the current 9 GW to 100 GW by 2047.Officials said NTPC has completed a feasibility study in one of the 14 states where it intends to set up nuclear energy plants over next few years, while work on at least two more is underway. They added that the power giant has also identified land for a nuclear power plant in Bihar’s Banka district and received state’s nod to prepare a detailed project report.“The feasibility study will soon be submitted to the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) for its approval. Once approved, the power company will approach the state govt for acquisition of the required land,” said an official. He, however, refused to divulge the name of the state for which the study has been completed, citing sensitivity of the subject.NTPC has set a target of setting up 30 GW of nuclear power capacity across 14 states by 2047. Approval from the Centre will pave the way for the public sector undertaking to begin work on its first standalone nuclear project, as it aims to achieve at least 2 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032. Officials said land parcels have also been identified in most states.The standing site selection committee of the department of atomic energy reviews such proposals and, if found technically feasible, forwards them to AEC for further processing.According to another official, NTPC has initially planned to set up at least two units of 700 MW each in the states, with the possibility of expanding to four units, if feasible. Each unit of nuclear plant would cost at least Rs 20,000 crore. Five litres of water is needed to produce one unit of nuclear power. Land requirement depends on the size of the project. The officials said Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha are among the states where NTPC is looking to set up nuclear power facilities.
