India Hopes to Rely on Nuclear Power for 25% of its Energy Needs Within a Decade

India hopes to rely on a new set of nuclear reactors which make use of local technological innovations to provide one quarter of the nation’s power at an affordable per unit cost.

New Delhi — India is preparing to market cheap and cost-effective nuclear reactor technology to the world. A senior government official said that India was looking to export Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PWHR) technology.

Ranajit Kumar, Head of the Nuclear Control and Planning wing of the Department of Atomic Energy, says “India is in a position to pass on the PWHR technology to countries looking to obtain cheap and cost-effective reactors. The current PWHR reactors have the capacity to generate between 220 MW and 700 MW of power.”

Kumar did not disclose the names of countries which had expressed an interest in Indian nuclear technology.  Sources told to Sputnik that India would start work on 16 new reactors within five years. These reactors would have a total capacity of 16,100 MWe. Out of these sixteen, eight reactors will be based on indigenous PHWRs technology, with a total capacity of 5,600 MWe. Four reactors will be installed in the northern state of Haryana.

Dr. Jitendra Singh, India’s Minister of State for Atomic Energy, says “The one nuclear power plant being set up in Haryana will become operational by about next year, at a cost of just USD 0.09 (Rs 6) per unit.”

Dr. Singh said that within the next ten years, India hopes to generate at least 25 percent of its energy using nuclear power plants.