Modi sees Nuclear Power as the Hero in India’s fight against climate change
Words: Vandana Devi Images: Various Sources
In May 2017, the Cabinet approved a plan to add 10 Indian-made reactors with a combined output of 7,000 megawatts to double the country’s nuclear capacity. On 1 June 2017, PM Modi and Russian President Putin agreed to work together to expand India’s largest nuclear power station.
The Larsen & Toubro Ltd. factory that opened a plant in 2012 in India, did not get the business it thought it would get and had to run the factory at almost one-fifth of its capacity. But all that might just change now. L&T expects annual production at its Hazira plant to reach around 40% of its capacity this year. They are also hopeful to see further increases as Modi seems to be adamant to position himself as a leader in the fight against climate change. Especially after Trump pulled out from the Paris summit singling out India as one of the major reason to do so.
India is the third-biggest producer of carbon emissions and Modi sees nuclear power as the way to reduce this. Coal burning power plants continue to supply almost 60% of the country’s electricity with Nuclear accounting to less than 2% at present. But all this is set to change.
The Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC) is also looking to expand its production facilities in Hyderabad. They are looking at setting up new production units as well. NFC makes and supplies reactor core structural components, fuel assemblies sub-assemblies and so on.