Nuclear sources to cater nearly 9% of India’s electricity demand by 2047: Jitendra Singh
2 min read . Updated: 09 Apr 2023, 07:23 PM IST
Premium- Singh said that the increase in power from nuclear sources would help in getting closer to achieving the net zero target by 2070
NEW DELHI : Union minister of state (Independent Charge) for atomic energy and space Jitendra Singh on Sunday said that nearly 9% share of electricity is likely to be contributed from India’s nuclear sources by 2047.
Speaking during a review meeting with a group of senior scientists from the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Department of Atomic Energy, at Mumbai, Singh said that the increase in power from nuclear sources would help in getting closer to achieving the net zero target by 2070.
As of February 28, the installed power capacity based on nuclear sources was 6.78 GW, which is 1.6% of the total installed power capacity in the country.
Singh, who is also the minister of state (Independent Charge) for science & technology said that the other targets laid down by the Department of Atomic Energy are achieving 20 GW capacity of nuclear power generation by the year 2030 which will be a major milestone placing India as the third largest producer of atomic energy in the world after the US and France, said a statement from the Department of Atomic Energy.
He noted that currently India is sixth largest in the world in the number of reactors that are functional and second largest in the total number of reactors including those under construction.
Singh further said that atomic energy is being used for applications in diverse sectors including, for increasing shelf life of fruits like apple and agriculture products, for using latest technologies in treatment of Cancer and other diseases etc. He said, India has shown the world the way for using nuclear energy for peaceful purposes.
Recently, he had informed the parliament that the government has approved the installation of 10 nuclear reactors in five states across India. The minister said that the government has roped in public sector undertaking for the installation of the reactors.
“The government has roped in PSUs for the installation of the nuclear reactors or the exercise would be done exclusively by the specialized government agencies," the minister said in a written reply in Lok Sabha recently.