Indian government has accorded sanction to build 10 nuclear reactors in the country to boost power generation, officials said Thursday.
The approval to indigenously build the pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) for nuclear power generation, was granted by federal government during a cabinet meeting presided over by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday evening.
"The cabinet has approved to install 10 indigenously built PWHRs," power minister Piyush Goyal said at a press conference after the cabinet meeting.
According to Goyal, the new PWHRs will help produce clean energy and add 7,000 MW of power to the country.
At present India generates 6,780 MW from nuclear power from 22 operational plants and hopes to add 6,700 MW of nuclear power by 2022.
Nuclear power is India's fifth source of energy after renewable energy sources (wind or solar power), coal, natural gas, hydroelectric.
India has huge electricity consumption and major portion of it is generated from coal.
Reports said the 10 reactors will be built at Mahi Banswara (Rajasthan), Chutka (Madhya Pradesh), Kaiga (Karnataka) and Gorakhpur (Haryana). The dates to start work on these reactors are yet to be announced.
