India aims to triple its installed nuclear power capacity by 2031-32. The current installed nuclear power capacity of 8,180MW is projected to increase to 22,480MW within this timeframe. The country currently operates 24 nuclear power reactors.
This plan aligns with India’s target of achieving 50 per cent of its installed power generation capacity from non-fossil fuels by 2030.
“India’s long-term low greenhouse gas emission development strategy recognizes a significantly greater role for nuclear energy in achieving net-zero targets,” stated Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy, in response to an unstarred question raised by Congress MP Shashi Tharoor in the Lok Sabha.
The Union government has already urged states to establish nuclear power plants. In November, Power Minister Manohar Lal chaired the conference of power ministers of states and Union territories, where he encouraged states distant from coal resources to set up nuclear-based power plants.
In the Union budget, the central government proposed partnering with private investors to establish small-scale nuclear reactors to meet the country’s growing energy demands. “States should consider setting up nuclear power plants at sites where coal-based thermal power plants have reached the end of their operational life,” the Union minister had advised state governments during the conference.
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According to the Central Electricity Authority, central and state sectors currently produce 46.6 per cent of the country's power, while the private sector contributes the remaining share. Coal remains the dominant source of power generation, accounting for 46.2 per cent of the total fossil fuel share of 53.2 per cent.
The push for nuclear energy is set to transform this paradigm. Twenty-one reactors with a combined capacity of 15,300MW are under various stages of implementation by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited. This includes nine reactors with a total capacity of 7,300MW—such as the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidhyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI)—currently under construction, and twelve reactors with a capacity of 8,000MW, including the twin 500MW Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) by BHAVINI, which are under pre-project activities.
