India wants to rely on nuclear power to meet the electricity demand across the country. And so the central government urged state governments to set up nuclear power plants instead of fossil fuel-based—furnace oil, gas and coal—power plants.
According to the Indian media NDTV, India has ambitious plans to install nuclear reactors across the country. Especially in states where thermal power plants have reached the end of their operational life or where power plants are running aground due to lack of coal.
According to the report, India wants to reduce its dependence on fossil fuels by focusing on clean energy or environmentally friendly fuels. And to achieve this goal, the central government has advised the states to set up nuclear power plants.
On Tuesday, India's Energy Minister Manohar Lal presided over the Conference of Power Ministers of States and Union Territories. There he advised states far away from coal sources to set up nuclear power plants. This step has been taken keeping in mind the rapidly increasing electricity demand of the country.
The central government in the budget has proposed to set up small scale nuclear power plants jointly with private investors to meet the increased power demand. Addressing the state governments, Mohan Lal said, 'States should set up nuclear power plants in those places where coal-based thermal power plants have ended their life.'
Mohan Lal called upon the states to identify the power utility companies and list them in the stock market. To help meet investment targets in the power sector. Calling for increasing the capacity of renewable energy, the minister emphasized the need to improve transmission system for this.
Legislation related to leakages and other accidents at nuclear power plants is very strict in India. And that is why many foreign investors have refrained from building nuclear power plants in India. India currently has 24 nuclear power plants in operation. These centers are operated and maintained by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited or NPCIL. It is under the Department of Atomic Energy, Government of India.
Presently, India's nuclear power generation capacity is around 8 GW. New Delhi has an ambitious target of increasing this amount to more than 20 GW by 2032. India aims to add 500 GW of renewable energy to the national grid by 2030 as the only G20 country to achieve climate targets ahead of schedule. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has promised to make India a net-zero carbon emitting country by 2070.
