Over 100% hike for DAE plan outlay; to launch 16 new nuclear plants

NEW DELHI: Unfazed by public protests against Kudankulam nuclear power plant, the Centre has more than doubled the expenditure for the Department of Atomic Energy in the 12th Plan which would see commissioning of seven atomic plants and launch of 16 new atomic power plants.

The 12th Five Year Plan, which was approved at a meeting of the Full Planning Commission chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, finalised a Rs 66,590 crore outlay for the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), a 109.32 per cent hike over the 11th Plan.

The government would provide a budgetary support of Rs 41,615 crore to the DAE during the Twelfth Plan Period from 2012-17. The balance Rs 24,975 crore has to be raised through borrowings and internal resources.

The Department of Space also saw a 151 per cent hike in budgetary support for 2012-17 which has been pegged at 39750 crore.

The DAE plans capacity addition of 5300 MW nuclear power in the 12th Plan period by commissioning two 1000 MW units at Kudankulkam, one 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, two 700 MW indigenously-developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) each at Kakrapar and Rawat Bhata respectively.

It also plans to start construction of 16 new nuclear power plants which includes eight indigenously-developed PHWRs and eight Light Water Reactors planned with international collaboration.

The four PHWRs of 700 MW each, under construction at Kakrapar in Gujarat and Rawat Bhata in Rajasthan, are upgraded versions of 540 MW reactors operational at Tarapur in Maharashtra.

These four reactors are expected to be completed by 2016-17, thus adding a capacity of 2800 MW.

The 500 MW PFBR is the first of its kind reactor involving several complex technologies and is the forerunner of the indigenous Fast Breeder Reactors of the second stage of India's three-state nuclear programme.

Two 700 MW PHWRs each would come up at Kaiga in Karnataka, Gorakhpur in Haryana's Fatehabad district, Banswada in Rajasthan and Chutka in Madhya Pradesh.

Besides, work on Kudankulam 3&4, Jaitapur 1&2, Kovvada 1&2 and Chhayamithi Virdi 1&2 is also expected to start in the 12th Plan period.

Kudankulam and Jaitapur plants have witnessed strong protests by anti-nuclear activists.

The site at Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh and Chhayamithi Virdi in Gujarat have also seen some stray protests. 

-TOI