Nuclear Power Plants in India

By Naveen Singh|Updated : January 27th, 2020

A nuclear power plant is a power station in which the primary source of energy generation is a nuclear reactor. A nuclear reactor is a machine used to induce a nuclear chain reaction. As a nuclear power station is a type of thermal power station, the heat generated from the nuclear reactor produces steam which drives a steam turbine connected to an electric generator which is then used to produce electricity.

Structure of a Nuclear Power Plant

A steam turbine is an equipment that is used to convert the heat into mechanical energy. The generator in a nuclear power plant converts kinetic energy supplied by the turbine into electrical energy. The cooling system removes heat from the reactor core and transports it to another area of the station, where the thermal energy can be harnessed to produce electricity or to do other useful work.

Nuclear Power Plant

In the case of an emergency, safety valves can be used to prevent pipes from bursting or the reactor from exploding. The water level in the steam generator and the nuclear reactor is controlled using the feedwater system. Most nuclear stations require two distinct sources of offsite power feeding station service transformers that are sufficiently separated in the station’s switchyard and can receive power from multiple transmission lines.

The element uranium is used as fuel in nuclear reactors for the chain reaction to occur. Uranium is a very heavy metal mostly found in seawater & rocks.

Nuclear Power Plants in India

In India, Nuclear power holds the fourth position among the different resources of electricity, Thermal, hydro and renewable resources being first, second and third respectively. Presently 19 nuclear power plants in India are there, which generates 4,560 MW (2.9% of total installed base) and 4 such power plants are in the pipeline and would be generating around 2,720 MW. India's contribution in fusion development is done through its involvement in the ITER project.

Since the beginning of the 1990s, Russia has always been a chief supplier of nuclear fuel to the country of India. The deterioration of domestic uranium resources caused the decline of electricity production from nuclear energy in India by 12.83% from 2006 to 2008.

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Currently, twenty-two nuclear power reactors have a total install capacity of 6,780 MW (3.5% of total installed base).

Operational nuclear power plants in India

Power station

Operator

State

Type

Units

Total capacity
(MW)

Kaiga

NPCIL

Karnataka

PHWR

220 x 4

880

Kakrapar

NPCIL

Gujarat

PHWR

220 x 2

440

Kudankulam

NPCIL

Tamil Nadu

VVER-1000

1000 x 2

2,000

Madras (Kalpakkam)

NPCIL

Tamil Nadu

PHWR

220 x 2

440

Narora

NPCIL

Uttar Pradesh

PHWR

220 x 2

440

Rajasthan

NPCIL

Rajasthan

PHWR

100 x 1
200 x 1
220 x 4

1,180

Tarapur

NPCIL

Maharashtra

BWR
PHWR

160 x 2
540 x 2

1,400

Total

 

6,780

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 Nuclear power plants and reactors under construction in India

Power station

Operator

State

Type

Units

Total capacity
(MW)

Expected Commercial Operation

Madras (Kalpakkam)

Bhavini

Tamil Nadu

PFBR

500 x 1

500

2020

Kakrapar Unit 3 and 4

NPCIL

Gujarat

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

2022

Gorakhpur

NPCIL

Haryana

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

2025

Rajasthan Unit 7 and 8

NPCIL

Rajasthan

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

2022

Kudankulam Unit 3 and 4

NPCIL

Tamil Nadu

VVER-1000

1000 x 2

2,000

2025-2026

Total

 

6,700

 

 Planned nuclear power plants in India

Power station

Operator

State

Type

Units

Total capacity
(MW)

Jaitapur

NPCIL

Maharashtra

EPR

1650 x 6

9,900

Kovvada

NPCIL

Andhra Pradesh

AP1000

1100 x 6

6,600

Kavali

NPCIL

Andhra Pradesh

VVER

1000 x 6

6000

Gorakhpur

NPCIL

Haryana

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

Bhimpur

NPCIL

Madhya Pradesh

PHWR

700 x 4

2,800

Mahi Banswara

NPCIL

Rajasthan

PHWR

700 x 4

2,800

Kaiga

NPCIL

Karnataka

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

Chutka

NPCIL

Madhya Pradesh

PHWR

700 x 2

1,400

Kudankulam Unit 5 and 6

NPCIL

Tamil Nadu

VVER-1000

1000 x 2

2,000

Madras

BHAVINI

Tamil Nadu

FBR

600 x 2

1,200

Tarapur

 

 

AHWR

300 x 1

300

Total

 

41,800

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