India is engaged in techno – commercial discussions with French technology giant M/s. EDF to arrive at the project proposal for setting up the world’s largest nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in the coastal Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra.

This information was provided by the Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh, to the Rajya Sabha in a written reply today.

Singh said, the Government has accorded ‘in-principle’ approval of the site at Jaitapur in Maharashtra for setting up six nuclear power reactors of 1650 MW each in technical cooperation with France which would make it the largest nuclear power generating site with a total capacity of 9900 MW.

In another written reply to a question in the Rajya Sabha on nuclear power capacity, Dr Singh informed that the present installed nuclear power capacity in the country is 6780 MW and the share of nuclear power in the total electricity generation in the country is about 3.1% in the year 2020-21.

The Minister said that Nuclear power is clean and environment friendly, apart from having a huge potential to ensure the country’s long term energy security on a sustainable basis. The nuclear power plants have so far generated about 755 billion units of electricity saving about 650 million tons of CO2 emission.

Dr Jitendra Singh said that the net zero targets are expected to be met through a combination of various clean energy sources including nuclear power. In this context, the present nuclear power capacity of 6780 MW is planned to be increased to 22480 MW by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded sanction. More nuclear power reactors are also planned in future.

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