'1st pair of 700 MW nuke plants to be ready by 2016'

STAFF WRITER 14:13 HRS IST

Mumbai, Feb 18 (PTI) India's first set of indigenous 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, would be a reality in the next six years, as the excavation work at Kakrapar in Gujarat has already begun, S K Jain, Chairman and Managing Director of NPCIL said.

The Centre had last October given a financial sanction of Rs 24,000 crore for four units of 700 MW of PHWRs, two each at Kakrapar and Rawatbhata in Rajashtan, he said.

"We will begin the first 'pour of concrete' next month in Kakrapar and in Rajasthan power project site for reactor raft and wish to finish the construction of the plants within five years from that day," Jain said at the 22nd annual Heavy Water Day here yesterday.

"Since the Centre has given financial sanction for these four, we will be completing the procurement order of all components by September this year," he said.