India can generate 27,000 MW of nuclear power in 10 years: Manmohan Singh

JHAJJAR (HAR): Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today batted for nuclear power as a "dependable and clean option", even as he underlined the need to ensure that all ingredients by which nuclear fuel is made remain safe and do not fall in the hands of terrorists and anti-social elements.

"Nuclear energy is a dependable and clean option to produce power. India is among the very few nations which have developed technology to install nuclear power plants and have achieved the capability to make nuclear fuel. Our aim is that in the coming ten years, we should achieve the capability to generate more than 27,000 MW nuclear power," Singh said in Haryana's Jhajjar district.

He was here to lay the foundation stone of two key projects -- the National Cancer Institute and the Global Centre for Nuclear Energy Partnership.

The Prime Minister said that "besides increasing our capability to generate nuclear power, what is important for us is to ensure that all ingredients by which nuclear fuel are made remain safe and do not fall in the hands of terrorists and anti-social people."

He said it is also important that the nuclear power plants maintain the highest standards of safety. He said "post the Japan nuclear accident case in 2011, we have adapted highest safety standards in our power plants design and management".

The Prime Minister said as the country's population grows and more urbanisation happens, the demand for power will also go up. Ensuring that there was enough power for our growing economy was the need of the hour, and while there were various sources like coal, hydro, wind, gas to generate power, nuclear energy was a viable and clean alternative, he said.

The cancer institute will come up at Bhadsa village in the district and the global nuclear centre will be set up at Jassaur Khedi village near Bahadurgarh.