10 old thermal plants to be converted into nuclear power units by 2047

The government has identified 10 old or retired thermal power sites for repurposing them into nuclear power units. The move is part of the Centre's ambitious aim to reach 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047 from about 8.8 GW currently.

Shortlisting of the 10 sites across various states is "preliminary" and a final decision will be taken after inspections by a site selection committee, which has members of Nuclear Power Corporation of India, said people close to the development.

One of the sites, Wanakbori thermal power plant in Gujarat, has already been visited by a team, one of the persons said. The site contains seven units of 210 MW each.

"The list is raw and a first step in the process. The selection of nuclear plants is much more stringent than thermal, so the process will take time," the person said.

The site selection process will hinge on the plants' seismicity, water availability, and nearby habitation, the person added.

A government official explained that the key benefits of converting old thermal power plants for nuclear energy generation is the existing availability of land, water, and transmission lines. However, factors such as marking exclusion zones of at least 1 km radius around a nuclear plant, with prohibitions for public habitation, will need to be considered before taking a final decision, the official said.

The power ministry is evaluating various modes of nuclear power generation, including installing small modular reactors, in the converted thermal units, based on the size and resource availability, the official added.

The government's target for 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity is likely to entail deploying various technologies as part of Viksit Bharat 2047 vision. India is aiming to first reach 22 GW nuclear power capacity by 2032.