The Indian government is reportedly planning to build ten nuclear power plants in ‘fleet mode’ in the country over the next three years.
The first pour of concrete (FPC) is planned for next year at the 700MW Kaiga atomic power station, which is located in the Indian state of Karnataka.
Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) officials notified the Parliamentary panel on science and technology saying: “The FPC of Kaiga units V and VI is expected in 2023; FPC of Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Praiyonjan units III and IV and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects units I to IV is expected in 2024, and that of Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project units I and II in 2025.”
The FPC process marks the start of nuclear power reactor construction from the pre-project stage, comprising excavation activities at the nuclear facility site.
Procurement for these projects is understood to have begun, with orders being placed for SS 304L lattice tubes and plates for end shields, Incoloy 800 tubes for 40 steam generators, forgings for steam generators, reactor headers pressuriser and bleed condensers forgings.
India currently operates a total of 22 nuclear reactors, with more than 6.7GW of combined capacity.