Centre initiates steps to increase nuclear power capacity from 7,480 Mega Watt to 22,480 Mega Watt by 2031-32
Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh has said that the Government has initiated steps to increase the nuclear power capacity from seven thousand 480 Mega Watt to 22 thousand 480 MW by 2031-32. In a written reply in the Lok Sabha yesterday, Dr Singh said, the annual electricity generation from nuclear power plants has increased from 35 thousand 334 Million Units in 2013-14 to 46 thousand 982 Million Units in 2022-23.
He said, the installed nuclear power capacity which was four thousand 780 mega Watt in 2013-14 has reached seven thousand 480 Mega Watt now. The Minister informed that at present 23 nuclear power reactors are installed. He said, construction and commission of ten reactors totalling eight thousand Mega Watt is underway in the states of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka and Madhya Pradesh.
In addition, pre-project activities in respect of ten reactors accorded sanction by the Government has been initiated. These are scheduled for progressive completion by 2031-32. Dr Jitendra Singh said, nuclear power generation in the country continued to demonstrate excellent safety in the last 10 years. He said, expansion of nuclear power capacity will help in the country’s energy transition for meeting the goal of a net zero economy by 2070.
In another reply in the Lok Sabha, Dr Singh said, the number of Space Start-Ups have gone up, from just one in 2014 to 189 in 2023 as per DPIIT Start-Up India Portal. He said, the investment in Indian Space Start-Ups has increased to over 124 Million dollars this year.
The Minister said, the current size of the Indian Space Economy is estimated around 8.4 billion dollars which is around 2 to 3 per cent of global space economy and it is expected that with the implementation of the Indian Space Policy 2023, 44 billion dollars Indian space economy can be achieved by 2033.