ntpc-to-launch-work-on-rajasthan-nuclear-plant-next-month

Government-owned power major NTPC Ltd will take its first step into nuclear power next month with the laying of the foundation stone for a 2,800 megawatt (MW) nuclear power plant in Banswara, Rajasthan, Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh said on Sunday.

 

The project will feature four pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW each.

 

“We will go very aggressive on nuclear. We plan to add 30 gigawatt (GW) nuclear power capacity by 2047,” Singh said at the BloombergNEF Summit.

 

The Mahi Banswara project is being developed as a joint venture with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), with NTPC holding a 49 per cent stake.

 

NTPC also plans to establish nuclear power projects both under the joint venture with NPCIL and independently. According to Singh, the first unit of the Rajasthan project is targeted for commissioning in 2031, with the entire plant expected to be completed by 2036.

 

“By that time, we will take up many other plants, too. We are in discussion with Tata Consulting Engineers, L&T, EDF, Rosatom, and Holtec and a few international consultants,” he said.

 

The company is actively looking to collaborate with service and technology providers and is exploring multiple sites across India for nuclear projects, Singh added.

 

He said India would be capable of adding nearly 10 GW of nuclear power generation capacity annually by 2036-37, as work progresses simultaneously at three or four sites. An exclusive mandatory zone has been designated for these nuclear power plants, he said.

 

India’s installed nuclear capacity is projected to rise sharply in the coming years. Minister of State for Atomic Energy Dr Jitendra Singh recently informed Parliament that the country’s nuclear power capacity is expected to grow from 8,780 MW at present to 22,380 MW by 2031-32, with the completion of ongoing expansion plans.

Currently, India operates 24 reactors with a total installed capacity of 8,780 MW, excluding RAPS-1 (100 MW), which remains under extended shutdown. In addition, projects amounting to 13,600 MW, including a 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) being implemented by BHAVINI, are at various stages of implementation.

With these developments, the government expects the country’s nuclear capacity to more than double within the next decade, underscoring the sector’s growing importance in India’s energy transition strategy.