Government sets power limit for future foreign Nuclear plants

“We already have foreign power plants with a capacity of 1,000 MWs (Kudankulam). The technology too has advanced that we have reactors with such a capacity. If we are installing them, then might as well have reactors that can generate more power and make optimum use of it,” a senior government official said. 

According to sources, the second site to be allocated to Russia at Kavali in Andhra Pradesh for its proposed nuclear power park will also have atomic reactors with an enhanced capacity of 1,200 MW.

The existing VVER reactors built by Russia at Kudankulam have a capacity of 1,000 MW each. The 1,200 MW will be little less than twice the capacity of indigenously developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in the country. 

The current PHWRs in operation have capacity to generate between 220 MW to 540 MW. The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is already constructing its indigenous PHRWs with a ramped capacity of 700 MW for its upcoming reactor. Incidentally, the government has also given nod to increase the capacity of six AP-1000 reactors, to be built by USA’s Westinghouse Co in Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, to 1,208 MW each. 

The six proposed nuclear power reactors in Jaitapur in Maharashtra will also have capacity of 1,650 MW each.