India ranks 13th in generating power from nuclear source

New Delhi: India stands at the 13th place world-wide in generating electricity from nuclear source and expects to increase the installed nuclear power capacity from 5,780 MW to 10,080 MW by 2019, government on April 30 said. According to the data published in 2014 by Power Reactor Information System of International Atomic Energy Agency, "India ranked 13th position in terms of generation.

However, it stood at 7th position in terms of number of reactors in operation country-wise globally," Minister of State in the PMO Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in Rajya Sabha. Noting that the government has accorded sanctions for two more projects with a total capacity of 3,400 MW, he said, "More nuclear power projects based on indigenous technologies and with international cooperation are planned in future." Singh said the total requirement of nuclear fuel over the next five years is estimated to be about 5,940 tons of natural uranium.

He dismissed reports suggesting that government is buying nuclear reactors without site studies, saying sites for locating nuclear power plants are selected after detailed scientific evaluation in accordance with the criteria laid down in the atomic energy regulatory board code of practice. Similarly, safety of nuclear power reactors to be set up is extensively reviewed at every stage and only after its state-wise clearance, the reactors are set up, he said.