India moving towards self-reliance in nuclear sector: Jitendra Singh

The government on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that it was following timelines and safety measures on commissioning of nuclear plants in the country, and the third unit of the Kudankulam nuclear plant is likely to be completed by 2026 and the fourth by 2027.
Replying to supplementary questions during question hour, Minister of State in Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh told members in the upper house that the nuclear capacity of the country is set to triple to nearly 22,380 MW by 2031-32 and to 100 gigawatts (GW) by 2047. “…the nuclear programme of India is in expansionist mode. It has been possible because of the courage of conviction and out of box thinking of Prime Minister Modi ji that we have opened up the nuclear sector to private players. “This was something which was unimaginable till about five years ago. I think the nation and the society had reconciled that we had to function behind the veil of secrecy. I think for the first time, as have taken up the global strategy,” he told the house.
The minister also informed the house that only the day before yesterday, “we could achieve another record — the Rajasthan Atomic power project in Rawalbeta successfully achieved its rated capacity of 700 MW on February 10 at 5.30 in the morning.” “I think I have every reason to convince the member that he should trust what has been conveyed to him on the Kudankulam timelines,” he said, adding that the credit goes to this government as the Kudankulam plant was for the first time conceived way back in 1988, but construction did not start and the first brick was laid in 2002 that too under the NDA government headed by prime minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee.
After that also the construction continued, and there was no headway, he said, adding that it was only afterthe present government came in, and prime minister Modi took over in May 2014, that in December 2014 the first unit of the Kudankulam plant became functional with 2 units of 1000 MW. “We have followed a timeline, and we are on a fast track. I think no geopolitical circumstances are going to affect this plant. The third unit is likely to be completed by 2026 and the fourth by 2027. The first two units were also completed in the last decade, only after this government has taken over. Which means that the intent and the plan of this government is very clear and we are following it with a great amount of discipline,” Singh told the house. In response to another query, he also said the NPCIL has been spending the CSR funds for the benefit of neighbour areas located around the plant. That is also called the rehabilitation and resettlement of neighbourhood welfare, he said.
To another query by SP’s Ramgopal Yadav, the minister said, in the last 10-11 years, India in this sector is moving fast towards self-reliance. When this government came to power in 2014, the capacity of our nuclear reactors was 4780 MW.
“Today in 2026, this capacity has more than doubled to 8780 MW and the manner in which enabling provisions have been made, like the Shanti Act and in this budget, our estimate is that we would be able to increase our capacity to three times or equivalent to 22,380 MW by 2031-32.
“The nuclear capacity is increasing, notwithstanding all those assumptions that you are trying to place. If the figures have doubled and is set to triple, it means that we have the self-reliance and the self-potential and we are not depending on others alone,” he said.
Jitendra Singh said that for the first time, this government has set its own timelines on nuclear energy.
“In 2025, we are at 8.8 GW (Gigawatt), in 2032 we would be at 22 GW, in 2037 we would be 47 GW, in 2042 at 67 GW, and in 2047 we would be at 100 GW. We are moving with confidence, with not just self-reliance but also self-confidence,” he asserted.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sitting in the house at the time.
“The mantra that we follow in nuclear programme is safety first, production next. I urge members to dispel fears on safety of nuclear plants as sometimes they are spread for extraneous considerations,” he also said on safety of nuclear plants.