40 more nuke plants by 2035

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With several states in the country reeling under acute shortage of electricity the Centre has planned to set up 40 more nuclear power plants in the country by 2035 to produce an additional 60,000 mega watts of electricity.

Speaking to reporters after inaugurating a campaign to create awareness about the need for nuclear energy in the country at Sathyabama University on Saturday, Mr S.K. Jain, chairman and managing director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), said that at present India produces 1.8 lakh mega watts of electricity using all sources of energy, including nuclear power.

“We need to produce four times more electricity to power all households in the country. Even today we have 40 per cent of villages with no electricity and use lanterns. We need to change the scenario soon to become a developed nation”, he said.

Pointing out that NPCIL plans to set up 40 more nuclear power plants in the country by 2035, Mr Jain said that the company had identified sites to set up these nuclear power plants and preliminary works had already begun.

“With the support of state governments we will start acquiring lands soon as it takes eight to 10 years of planning to start a nuclear power plant. We have set apart Rs 15,000 crore for future expansion,” he added.

Mr Jain noted that the company had produced 32,000 million units of electricity this financial year (2011-12), an increase of 6,000 million units compared to last financial year.

“Earning of our company has gone up from Rs 5,000 crore to Rs 8,000 crore this fiscal,” he said.

villagers push for more nuclear plants in india

Several villagers who thronged Sathyabama University for a nuclear awareness campaign programme expressed their solidarity with the Centre to set up more nuclear power plants in India, as 40 per cent of the country is without electricity.

Mr Kandasamy, a resident of Vayalur near Chengalpattu who had come to attend the awareness campaign, lamented that even though the country had developed in several areas it remained the same as far as production of electricity is concerned.

“It is sad to hear NPCIL chairman say that 40 per cent of Indian villages don’t have electricity and they use lanterns to light up their homes,” he said.

“I think it is not wrong to have nuclear power plants as it is the need of the hour and nothing has happened ever since the government set up Kalpakkam power plant 25 years ago,” he added.

Mrs Shanthi, a villager of Pudupattinam, pointed out that with the government’s plan to set up more nuclear power plants in Kalpakkam more number of people in surrounding villages would get a chance to work in the power plant.

“We request authorities to provide job to villagers based on their education qualification and we know the plant to be safe else we would have died long ago,” she said. Mr Muthu of Chemmanancherry village said it was difficult to tap electricity from renewable energy, as the country is yet to master solar and wind energy whereas it had mastered nuclear technology.