NEW DELHI: India is to significantly increase its share of nuclear power by 70 percent in the countrywide generation of electricity.
In the next five years, India will add and commission seven new nuclear power reactors to its existing capacity, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Minister of State for Atomic Energy, Science and Technology, said yesterday.
‘Installed nuclear power capacity, presently at 7.48 gigawatt electrical (GWe) will go up to 13.08 GWe by 2029,” Singh announced after a meeting to take stock of ongoing operational nuclear power projects and medium-term plans of his ministry.
The meeting was held to review the first 100 days’ ‘Action Plan’ for the new Indian Cabinet, specific to the Department of Atomic Energy. The new Cabinet, led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi was sworn in on 9th June.
‘Promoting energy security and development of indigenous technology should be the priorities,’ Singh told Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman of India’s Atomic Energy Commission and senior officials of the Department of Ato
mic Energy at the meeting.
‘Along with energy security, the Department should focus on health and food security, radiopharmaceuticals, nuclear medicine and food preservation using atomic energy,’ he urged the meeting.
Source: Emirates News Agency