Indian cabinet approved plan to build a total of 7,000 MW Ten Nuclear Reactors
Indian cabinet led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi has approved plans on May 17, to build ten nuclear reactors with a combined capacity of 7,000 MW, more than the country’s entire current capacity, to try to fast track its domestic nuclear power programme. The government marks the first strategic response to the near collapse of Westinghouse, the US reactor maker that had been in talks to build six of its AP1000 reactors in India.
Westinghouse, owned by Japan’s Toshiba, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in March after revealing billions of dollars in cost overruns at its US projects, raising doubts about whether it can complete the India deal.
India has installed nuclear capacity of 6,780 MW from 22 plants and plans to add another 6,700 MW by 2021-22 through projects currently under construction. The ten additional reactors
The Indian government said that this project will bring about substantial economies of scale and maximise cost and time efficiencies by adopting fleet mode for execution. It is expected to generate more than 33,400 jobs in direct and indirect employment. With manufacturing orders to domestic industry, it will be a major step towards strengthening India’s credentials as a major nuclear manufacturing powerhouse.
Westinghouse has said it plans to continue construction of its AP1000 plants in China and expects to bid for new plants in India and elsewhere, without elaborating on how it plans to do so.Indian companies such as Larsen and Toubro, Kirloskar Brother Limited and Godrej & Boyce welcomed the government’s move.
Kirloskar Brother Limited chairman, Sanjay Kirloskar said that Nuclear power plants will go a long way in reducing the perennial energy deficit whereas Larsen and Toubro’s director S.N. Roy called the move “bold and historic.”