Govt panel recommends measures to achieve 100 GW nuclear capacity target
New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) A government committee has made recommendations ranging from regulatory changes to increasing uranium production in India to overcome the challenges facing the target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.
These measures will not only attract private investment in the nuclear field, but will also help obtain faster the permits required to establish such projects.
In February, the Ministry of Energy formed a committee to prepare a ‘Road Map to Achieve the 100 GW Nuclear Capacity Target by 2047’.
The committee held various discussions on all aspects of the journey to 100 GW by 2047 and identified various challenges facing the target and recommended measures needed to mitigate them.
The country’s current nuclear installed capacity is 8.88 GW.
The committee estimates that the incremental investment required to achieve 100 GW of capacity, based on the expected capacity mix, will be: ₹19 lakh crore.
Amendments to the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act (CLNDA) of 2010 will be vital in providing much-needed private capital and easing the risk perception of suppliers and potential investors.
The Atomic Energy Act of 1962 currently does not allow private sector or even state governments to participate in nuclear projects. This was deemed necessary perhaps because of the need for stringent safety, security and safeguards in atomic energy production.
Additionally, suppliers and potential operators are concerned about some provisions of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act 2010.
The target of reaching 100 GW by 2047 requires increasing existing capacity by more than 10 times in 22 years, or an average capacity addition of approximately 4.14 GW per year.
To achieve the target on time, India will also need to secure large supplies of uranium. Currently, 2.4 GW of uranium needs are met from domestic sources, and the rest is imported.
The cost of mining domestic uranium and processing it into Uranium Ore Concentrate (UOC, also known as ‘Yellow Cake’) is understood to be approximately 3 to 4 times expensive compared to its international price. The main reason for this is the poor quality of the ore usually found in India.
However, international uranium prices may increase due to worldwide pressures on nuclear energy.
The government may consider providing additional capital to Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL) to facilitate expansion.
The committee also recommended shortening project durations.
The entire process of establishing a nuclear power plant begins with the in-principle approval of the relevant state government where the nuclear power plant will be established.
The time required for the first concrete pour after approval from the state government is 5-6 years. The total time required for the construction of the nuclear power plant is 11-12 years, which is quite high. The process can be made faster by accelerating pre-project activities, land acquisition issues, quality assurance issues during construction, and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) process.
From the private sector, state-owned NTPC, Tata Power and Naveen Jindal Group have already announced plans to set up nuclear projects in India.
Currently, NTPC is setting up a nuclear project in a joint venture (JV) with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) in Rajasthan with an investment of around $200 million. ₹42,000 crore. NTPC CMD Gurdeep Singh recently shared plans to set up individual nuclear projects.
In February, Jindal Nuclear announced plans to make significant investments to create 18GWe of nuclear power generation capacity in the country over the next two decades.
Tata Power has evolved from a pure solar and wind company to a force in the hybrid renewable energy market and is also ready to take part in nuclear power development in the future, chairman N Chandrasekaran said in July.
