NTPC & NPCIL Look To Add Two More Nuclear Power Plants

India’s largest power producer National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) is mulling to develop a big nuclear project in India to give a thrust to clean energy. Earlier in August, the central PSU had announced that it is making its debut in the nuclear power segment by constructing two reactors in Haryana’s Gorakhpur.

According to reports, NTPC and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) are in talks with the government to develop two more reactors in the state of Madhya Pradesh. The capacity of the two reactors will be 700 MW.

Earlier this month, NTPC announced in its 18th Analysts & Investors Meet that the company is foraying into nuclear power while maintaining its thrust on the renewable sector. Chairman and Managing Director, Gurdeep Singh, stated, “Discussions are underway for adding the nuclear capacity. This is the new thing that you would probably be hearing that we are bringing this and we are seriously thinking on this.”

Nuclear power may be tripled in the country in near future. The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) says that India is developing six GW of nuclear energy which is the highest in the world after China. India’s quest for the nuclear addition draws its energy from the net zero ambition of the country by 2070 which the Prime Minister promised at the COP26 Summit in Glasgow in 2021.

Addition of clean energy like atomic energy is necessary as the country’s energy consumption is expected to rise abruptly in the near future considering the strong economic growth. BP’s Energy Outlook that was brought out in 2019 said that India’s energy consumption will swell by 156% between 2017 and 2040.

NTPC wants to install RE capacity of 60 GW by 2032. It currently has 2.02 GW installed, 4.09 GW under construction, 2.21 GW is near construction and 3.22 GW is under tendering, said the power producer. The total capacity of NTPC today is over 69000 MW.