The government on Wednesday approved a proposal to set up 10 indigenous pressurised heavy water reactors, reported PTI. Each reactor is expected to generate 700 megawatt of electricity, which will translate into an addition of 7,000 megawatt of nuclear capacity. It will be part of the Centre’s ‘Make in India’ initiative, reported The Times of India.
“A total of 7,000 MW capacity will be added,” Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal told the news agency. “It will help produce clean energy.” The decision was taken at a Cabinet committee meeting chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“Today’s decision by the government will further enable Indian industry to mature to global standards and in the process develop and nurture Indian skill and talent in the nuclear sector,” SN Roy, whole-time director, Larsen & Toubro Ltd, said in a statement, according to Mint. “It will also result in developing supply chain through small and medium industries, thus creating much needed job opportunities.”
At the meeting, the government also approved a “transparent” mechanism to allocate coal to projects which do not have captive coal mines and need to source it from Coal India Ltd.
“Allocation of linkages for power sector shall be based on auction of linkages or through Power Purchase Agreement [PPA] based on competitive bidding of tariffs except for the State and the Central Power Generating companies and the exceptions provided in Tariff Policy, 2016,” the government said in a statement. “Coal drawal will be permitted against valid Long Term PPAs and to be concluded Medium Term PPAs. Coal linkages, for IPPs (independent power producers) having PPA based on imported coal, shall be made available through a transparent bidding process.”
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