India will set up 12 more nuclear power stations to improve the power situation in the country and to ensure a free flow of uninterrupted electricity supply for both industrial and residential purposes, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) secretary and Atomic Energy Commission chairman KN Vyas said at the Russian International AtomExpo in Sochi.

Currently, there are nine nuclear power reactors at various stages of construction and scheduled to be completed by 2024-25. These are two reactors of 700MW capacity each in Gujarat's Kakrapar, two in Rajasthan's Rawatbhata (700MW each), two reactors of 1,000MW capacity each in Tamil Nadu's Kudankulam, one reactor of 500MW in Kalpakkam and two (700 MW each) in Haryana's Gorakhpur.

In addition to nine, 12 more nuclear power reactors were accorded administrative approval and financial sanction by the Union government in 2017. While 10 will be of 700MW capacity, two will be of 1,000MW each. Two reactors will come up in Gorakhpur, two in Rajasthan's Mahi-Banswara, two in Karnataka's Kaiga, two in MP's Chutka and two in Kudankulam. Thus, 21 nuclear reactors, with an installed capacity of 15,700 MW, are under implementation and are scheduled for completion by 2031.

Vyas, who represented India at the expo that was attended by 3,600 participants from 74 countries, said, "We believe that when it comes to clean energy, there is no substitute to nuclear energy as it is sustainable. Without interruption, one can have clean energy." Citing the record run of the Kaiga nuclear station as an example, he said a small unit of indigenously-developed 220-250 MW reactor has completed 962 days of uninterrupted run at 99.3 per cent of capacity and the amount of electricity it has generated is "tremendous". The DAE head said the first stage of India's indigenous nuclear power programme has now attained maturity with 18 operating pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs).

Indian industry has gained a lot through the process, nuclear energy and instruments require a guided and systematic way of manufacturing and quality assurance which raises the standard of industry participating in the manufacturing of equipment, Vyas said at Sochi meet .

Nuclear technology is not only intended for generating power, but is also useful in medical field as it helps in treatment of cancer patients through radiotherapy.

