Nuclear Power plant in Gorakhpur.

• Haryana’s first nuclear power plant is poised to come up in Gorakhpur village (District Fatehabad).
• The upcoming Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) will have two units of 700 MWe capacity each of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).

India’s Nuclear Programme

• India’s 3-stage nuclear energy program, envisioned by Homi Bhabha, is based on a closed nuclear fuel cycle.
  1. Stage-I: PHWRs fuelled by Natural uranium would produce plutonium-239. Heavy water (D2O) is used as moderator and coolant in PHWR.
  2. Stage-II: Fast Breeder Reactors utilising plutonium- 239 fuel from first stage and formed uranium-238.
  3. Stage-III: Advanced nuclear power systems for utilisation of thorium.
• India successfully reached the first stage in 2013 with over 22 nuclear reactors (18 PHWRs, and 4 Light Water Reactors) in 7 nuclear power plants.
• India is currently on second stage of program.
• India’s current nuclear power capacity of 6,780 MW is expected to increase to 22,480 MW by 2031.
• Nuclear energy is fifth-largest source of electricity for India.