Parliament Question: DAE Expansion Projects

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO – 826 ANSWERED ON 04.02.2026 DAE EXPANSION PROJECTS

826. SHRI PARSHOTTAMBHAI RUPALA

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:-

(a) the details and current status of all proposed and ongoing expansion projects of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) including subordinate units, Boards and PSUs with approved costs and capacity targets, project-wise;

(b) whether the Government has reviewed timelines for timely completion of these projects and adopted measures to prevent time and cost overruns and if so, the details thereof;

(c) whether DAE has assessed current and future requirements of scientific and technical manpower and initiated focused recruitment and if so, the details thereof;

(d) whether the Government proposes to utilise the expertise of retired DAE scientists and technocrats to strengthen execution and achieve timely completion of these strategic initiatives and if so, the details thereof? ANSWER THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES AND PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER’S OFFICE (DR. JITENDRA SINGH)

(a) (a) At present, seventeen nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of 13100 MW are under implementation comprising of seven nuclear reactors under construction and ten rectors under pre-project activities. The details are as under:

Location Project Capacity Physical Approved Expected

(MW) Progress Cost (Rs. Completi in crore) on Projects Under Construction / Commissioning Rajasthan RAPP-7$&8 2 X 700 98.60 22,924 2026 Kudankulam, KKNPP-3&4 2 X 1000 80.51 68,893 2027 Tamilnadu KKNPP-5&6 2 X 1000 41.56 68,893 2030 Civil Gorakhpur, GHAVP-1&2 2 X 700 works in 20,594 2032 Haryana progress Projects Under Pre-project Activities Kaiga, Kaiga-5&6 Under 2 X 700 Progress Karnataka pre- 1,05,000 ively by project Gorakhpur, GHAVP– 3&4 2 X 700 2031-32 activities HCharuytkana,a Chutka-1&2 2 X 700 Madhya PradeshMahi Banswara- 2 X 700 at various Mahi 1&2* stages Mahi Banswara- Banswara, 3&4* 2 X 700 Rajasthan $ Unit-7 (700 MW) of RAPP-7&8 began commercial operation on 15.04.2025 * Mahi Banswara-1&2 and Mahi Banswara-3&4 being implemented by ASHVINI, a Joint Venture of NPCIL and NTPC.

(b) BHAVINI is currently commissioning a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

(PFBR) project at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. Government has accorded approval to carry out pre-project activities for 2 x 500 MWe twin unit of FBR 1&2 project at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. On attaining first criticality of PFBR, Government will be approached for financial sanction of FBR 1 & 2 projects.

(b) (a) Yes. The progress of projects is reviewed at multiple levels in Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and also by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) periodically. Constant monitoring of progress of project activities at multiple levels, timely identification of constraints & making necessary mid-course corrections, frequent meetings with vendors/ contractors and re-sequencing of construction activities to the extent possible, are being taken to ensure the timely implementation of the projects.

(b) BHAVINI has the following institutional mechanism for monitoring the project progress; Weekly review meetings at Unit level along with designers is being conducted to review the progress in commissioning and for better resource pooling. The project is also reviewed by BHAVINI Board on quarterly basis. These reviews help in reallocation of resources, quick decision making and expediting the project.

(c) Yes, NPCIL has initiated focused recruitment at different levels considering the requirements of the expansion programme and timelines involved in recruitment, training and licensing of personnel. Recruitment to engage 80 Graduate Engineer Trainees is initiated at ECIL.

(d) Department of Atomic Energy has instituted a national level scheme known as “DAE-Raja Ramanna Chair” (DAE-RRC) which is intended to utilize the services of active retired scientists, engineers and technologists, who have been involved in high quality research in their specialized disciplines in the units of the DAE or any National Laboratory or University or Institute and who after retirement are keen to carry out R&D and studies on the topics as identified by DAE.The department has also instituted “DAE-Homi Sethna Chair” (DAE-HSC) which is intended to utilize the services of active retired scientists, engineers and technologists, who have been involved in high quality research in their specialized disciplines in the units of the DAE and who after retirement are keen to carry out R&D, policy & planning studies on the topics as identified by DAE.

The objective of the schemes is to gainfully utilize the services of active retired scientists, engineers and technologists who have worked in the areas of critical and sensitive technologies and who can constructively contribute in a regular manner to the research projects, policy and planning activities of DAE as per the topics identified by the department.

Additionally, the DAE-RRC fellowship holders could take up writing of monographs or books on topics related to Atomic Energy and the DAE-HSC awardees will work on critical subject matters or projects and carry out studies on policy issues with the objective of providing to the Department, a detailed analysis within a prescribed time period.

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