With the Andhra Pradesh government declaring a strong intent to promote nuclear power, two nuclear energy parks at Kovvada (Srikakulam district) and Nizampatnam (Guntur) are to be established with a whopping investment of over Rs. 1,50,000 crore.
Disclosing this to reporters here on Thursday, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jain said that pre-project activities had begun at Kovvada where six imported reactors of 1,400 MWe would be set up in phases.
Land acquisition would start in due course.
He was in Hyderabad to attend a function where Fuelling Machine head for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor was handed over by Chief Minister K. Rosaiah to Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Srikumar Banerjee. It was manufactured by the city-based MTAR Technologies Private Ltd. Mr. Jain said discussions were on with the State government to firm up the site at Nizampatnam, where it is proposed to establish another six imported reactors of 1400 MWe.
There were also plans to set up two indigenous reactors of 700 MWe at Pulivendula (2x700 MWe) in Kadapa district. Official sources indicated that Nizampatnam site was still under consideration as several feasibility studies were on. Mr. K. Rosaiah said the government was keen on establishment of nuclear power plants to overcome the acute power shortage.
The Atomic Minerals Directorate had carried out exploration for uranium in the Kadapa basin and indicated that uranium-mineralisation extends over a belt of 160 km. M/s Uranium Corporation of India Limited (UCIL) is planning to establish a uranium-based plant in Pulivendula. The government had granted mining lease over an extent of 800 hectares for a period of 30 years, he added.
Mr. Banerjee said that apart from the location here of Nuclear Fuel Complex which provides various types of fuel to reactors, A.P. has the largest reserves of over 60,000 tonnes of uranium. But unfortunately, the State does not have a reactor. Describing it as “biggest anomaly”, he said this would be rectified soon.
