Nine per cent share of electricity is likely to be contributed from India’s nuclear sources by the year 2047 when India celebrates 100 years of independence, according to Dr Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State for Prime Minister's Office.
According to him, this would help in getting closer to the commitment of achieving the net zero target by 2070.
Dr Singh made these remarks after holding a review meeting with a group of senior scientists from the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai.
Dr Singh, who also holds the portfolios of Earth Sciences, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, said that the other targets laid down by the Department of Atomic Energy are achieving 20 GW capacity of nuclear power generation by the year 2030 which will be a major milestone placing India as the third largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the USA and France.
Dr Singh mentioned that the credit for this rapid stride goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who, for the first time after Independence, took the decision of approving 10 reactors in a fleet mode in a single order and allowed nuclear installations to be developed under joint ventures with PSUs.
"As a result, today India is sixth largest in the world in the number of reactors that are functional and second largest in the total number of reactors including those under construction,” he said.
Dr Singh said one hallmark of the Modi regime is that for the first time, in a big way, atomic energy is being used for applications in diverse sectors, for example, for increasing the shelf life of fruits like apples and agricultural products, for using latest technologies in the treatment of cancer and other diseases. “India has shown the world the way for using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes,” he said.
The NPCIL is presently operating 22 commercial nuclear power reactors with an installed capacity of 6780 MW.
The reactor fleet comprises two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), 18 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) including one 100 MW PHWR at Rajasthan which is owned by DAE, Government of India and two VVER reactors of 1000 MW capacity each.