NEW DELHI, March 11 – India’s atomic power generation has more than doubled since 2008-2009 to 32,000 million units last year, Press Trust of India (PTI) reported. The country’s nuclear power sector produced 14.93 million units of electricity in 2008-09 after signing an additional safeguards protocol with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA).
The IAEA approval came on Aug 1, 2008 which saw the Nuclear Suppliers Group allowing India to participate in global nuclear trade. India’s nuclear power production has since increased to 18.83 million units in 2009-10, 26.47 in 2010-11 and 32.46 in 2011-12.
“The conclusion of international agreements on nuclear cooperation have enabled the import of fuel,” officials said.
The availability of fuel has enabled the addition of 660 MW capacity with the commissioning of two units at the Atomic Power Plant in 2010 and Kaiga Generating Station in 2011 in Northern state of Rajasthan. The signing of civil nuclear cooperation agreements has also opened up opportunities for setting up large capacity light water reactors based on foreign technical cooperation.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd is building nuclear power plants with Russian cooperation at Kudankulam. It is also in talks with France and the US for setting up atomic power plants at Jaitapur and Chhayamithi Virdi in West Indian states of Maharashtra and Gujarat as well as at Kovvada in South Indian Andhra Pradesh state.
BERNAMA
