Four nuclear power plants to come up in Haryana

New Delhi: The Centre has accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for the setting up of four nuclear plant units of 700 MW each at Gorakhpur in Haryana and the first two of these units — GHAVP 1&2 (2X700 MW) — are already under construction, Union Minister of State for Atomic Energy and Space Dr Jitendra Singh said on Wednesday.

Govt identifying suitable sites for plants

While responding to a question in the Lok Sabha, Singh said that the process of identification of suitable sites for locating future nuclear power plants is an ongoing activity, carried out by the Standing Site Selection Committee (SSSC) of the Department of Atomic Energy.

The backdrop

The news comes just weeks after Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman while presenting the government's first full budget after assuming charge, stressed the need to diversify the sources of power generation.

"In the power sector, we need to diversify the sources of power generation for long term stability.  The government is drawing up a comprehensive plan, spanning the next 15 to 20 years, to augment the investment in nuclear power generation.  Budgetary allocation up to ₹ 3,000 crore per annum, together with public sector investments, will be leveraged to facilitate the required investment for this purpose," Sitharaman had said.

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