9% Of India’s electricity to come from nuclear sources by 2047: Jitendra Singh

INTERNATIONAL DESK: India will get 9 per cent of its electricity from nuclear sources by 2047, the centenary year of the country’s independence, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

The Science and Technology minister made these remarks after reviewing the functioning of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai.

Mr Singh said the rising share of nuclear power in India’s energy basket would help it get closer to the commitment of achieving the net zero target by 2070.

He said the Department of Atomic Energy has been given the target of achieving 20 gigawatts (GW) capacity of nuclear power generation by 2030, which will make India the third-largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the US and France.

Mr Singh said the credit for this rapid stride goes to Prime Minister Narendra Modi who took the decision of approving 10 reactors in a fleet mode in a single order and also allowed nuclear installations to be developed under joint ventures with PSUs.

India has the sixth-highest number of functional nuclear reactors in the world and the second-highest number of reactors, including those under construction.

During 2021-22, nuclear power reactors generated 47,112 million units of electricity, about 3.15 per cent of the total electricity generated in the country, Singh had told Lok Sabha last week.

The present installed nuclear power capacity is set to increase from 6,780 megawatts (MW) to 22,480 MW by 2031 on progressive completion of projects under construction and accorded sanction, Singh had said.