New power plant to be built in 2019 in MP

The construction of India's newest nuclear power plant at Chutka in eastern Madhya Pradesh is likely to begin in 2019.

The two 700 MW units at Chutka are among the 10 nuclear power plants, whose construction in a fleet mode was approved by the Cabinet in May.

"It would take another two years to start the construction of these 10 units. Chutka may be the first unit to be constructed and the first pour of concrete is likely in 2019," S K Sharma, chairman and managing director of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), told DH on the sidelines of a conference here.

Other eight units of 700 MW capacity each would be at Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan (four units of 700 MW capacity each), Gorakhpur in Haryana (2) and Kaiga (2). To be constructed at a cost of Rs 1,05,000 crore, all of them would be ready by 2031.

India currently has an installed capacity of 6780 MWe of nuclear energy. Seven more plants totalling 5300 MWe are under construction. Pre-project activities are going on to set up another two 700 MWe units at Gorakhpur in Haryana.

"Works will begin in Gorakhpur in October 2018 and the first unit would be completed by 2024," Lokesh Kumar, executive director (procurement) at NPCIL, said at the India Energy Forum's nuclear conclave here on Friday.

The first of the two 700 MWe units at Kaiga in north Karnataka may go on stream at the same time.

Sharma said the government would soon announce the name of a new site to host another set of six Russian reactors.

The first choice site, Haripur in West Bengal, is almost out of consideration because of the opposition from the Trinamool Congress.

The six new Russian reactors may be of 1200 MWe each, instead of 1000 MWe units that are being set up at Kudankulam.

There are two functional units at Tamil Nadu (Unit 1 & 2) site whereas two (unit 3 & 4) more are under construction.

New Delhi and Moscow agreed to set up at least two more (Unit 5 & 6) power plants at the same location.