The photo is sourced from The Diplomat
A major contribution to the capacity growth will be made by the projects that are already in progress: four heavy-water reactors with a capacity of 700 MW each in the states of Gujarat and Rajasthan, as well as four light-water reactors with a capacity of 1,000 MW each at the Kudankulam NPP (the project is supported by Rosatom) in the state of Tamil Nadu, where a prototype of a 500 MW fast-neutron reactor is also being built. Minister Singh also mentions the project for two 700 MW heavy-water reactors being implemented in the city of Gorakhpur in the state of Uttar Pradesh, although concrete pouring has not yet taken place.
While light-water reactors use ordinary water (H2O) to slow down neutrons (in order to control the nuclear reaction), heavy-water ones use so-called heavy water (D2O) where both atoms of hydrogen (H) are replaced by atoms of deuterium (heavy hydrogen, D). In its turn, fast-neutron reactors do not use a neutron moderator and can transform spent nuclear fuel into new fuel, making the production process a closed cycle.
Minister Singh estimates that the construction and subsequent utilisation of new nuclear reactors will make it possible to bring the share of NPPs in India’s energy mix to 9% by 2047, whereas their share stood at a mere 2.5% in 2022 (according to the Ember think tank). The construction of new power units will help India reduce the carbon footprint of its power industry: the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) estimates that the generation of 1 kilowatt-hour (kWh) of electricity at an NPP produces just 12 grams of CO2-equivalent in greenhouse gas emissions, which is almost 70 times less than the emission rate of coal-fired TPPs (840 grams of CO2-equivalent).
In addition to NPPs, India is also actively developing its renewable energy infrastructure. By 2030, the country plans to bring the installed capacity of its renewables to 500 gigawatts (GW), as India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced earlier. The aggregate capacity of renewables-based power plants in India reached 162.9 GW in 2022, according to the International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA).
