Nuclear power programme in India

Nuclear power programme in India

The atomic energy commission was established in 1948 with Dr. Homi J. Bhabha as its first chairman. The Department of Atomic Energy has constituted many research reactors and critical facilities of different designs and with varying power levels. Research reactors are powerful tools for carrying out basic and applied research in a number of disciplines. The research reactors in India include Apsara, Cirus, Dhruva and Purnima in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Trombay, Maharashtra, and Kamini at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. They support research work, that requires the use of neutrons and also to produce radio isotopes for use in research, medicine, agriculture, industry, food preservation, etc. One more research reactor at Kalpakkam, Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) is mainly used to test fuel and other materials used in the fast reactors and to develop sodium technology.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) is the public sector company which owns, constructs and operates nuclear power plants in India. NPCIL plans to put up a total installed nuclear power capacity of 20,000 MW by the year 2020.

India's nuclear power programme has fourteen reactors in operation. There are twelve pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) and two boiling water reactors (BWR) with a total power generation capacity of 2770 MW.

Location       Type   Capacity       Number of units

Tarapur, Maharashtra      BWR   160 MW       2

Kota, Rajasthan      PHWR            100 MW       1

                        200 MW       1

                        220 MW       2

Kalpakkam,  PHWR            170 MW       1

Tamil Nadu               220 MW       1

Narora, Uttarpradesh       PHWR            220 MW       2

Kakrapara, Gujarat            PHWR            220 MW       2

Kaiga, Karnataka    PHWR            220 MW       2

Location       Type   Capacity       Number

                                    of units

Tarapur, Maharashtra      PHWR            540 MW       2

(3 & 4)                                  

Kaiga, Karnataka    PHWR            220 MW       2

(3 & 4)                                  

Rajasthan     PHWR            220 MW       2

(5 & 6)                                  

Koodankulam, Tamil Nadu          PWR   1000 MW     2

(1 & 2)                                  

Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu   PFBR  500 MW       1

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