A meeting of the Consultative Committee of the Ministry of Power was held today under the Chairmanship of Shri Manohar Lal, Hon’ble Union Minister for Power and Housing & Urban Affairs. The agenda for discussion was "Roadmap for Development of Nuclear Power Generation."

Nuclear Power: A Key Pillar for Achieving Net Zero Goals

During the meeting, Hon’ble Minister highlighted India’s commitment to achieving net zero carbon emissions by 2070 and emphasized that increasing the share of non-fossil fuel-based power generation is central to this vision. As the power sector contributes over 40% of global energy-related emissions, nuclear energy, being a non-fossil and stable power source, will play an increasingly important role in India’s sustainable development journey.

The Hon’ble Minister elaborated that, apart from electricity generation, nuclear energy can also serve non-electric applications such as hydrogen production, desalination, process steam, and space heating, thus supporting India's broader energy transition goals.

Current Status and Future Plans

Members were informed that India currently operates 25 nuclear reactors across seven locations, with a total installed capacity of 8,880 MW, contributing about 3% of the country's electricity generation. Eight reactors with 6,600 MW capacity are under construction, and another ten reactors with 7,000 MW capacity are in pre-project stages.

In line with India's vision of 'Viksit Bharat @2047', the Government has set a target of achieving 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. This will significantly strengthen India’s long-term energy security and contribute towards achieving clean energy goals.

Strategic Initiatives for Accelerated Deployment

The Hon’ble Minister outlined the key challenges and strategic steps required for scaling up nuclear energy, including:

• Amending the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010 to enable broader participation by private and state sectors.
• Strengthening public perception and enhancing awareness about nuclear energy's safety and benefits.
• Facilitating faster land acquisition through brownfield expansions and repurposing retired thermal sites.
• Streamlining regulatory approval processes to reduce project timelines.
• Introducing tax concessions, green power classification, and long-term financing to ensure competitive nuclear tariffs.
• Diversifying technology choices through competitive bidding and promoting indigenous manufacturing under Make in India.
• Securing diversified uranium fuel sources and expanding the vendor base for specialized nuclear equipment.
• Building skilled manpower capacity by strengthening nuclear education and training infrastructure.

Members' Participation and Way Forward

Members of Parliament actively participated in the discussions and provided valuable suggestions for expediting nuclear power deployment. They stressed the need for faster project execution, creating a favorable public narrative, ensuring technology diversification, and building robust vendor and manpower ecosystems.

In his concluding remarks, the Hon’ble Minister assured the Members that the Ministry of Power would work closely with the Department of Atomic Energy, State Governments, industries, and other stakeholders to accelerate the deployment of nuclear power projects and ensure a clean, secure, and sustainable energy future for India.

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SK

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