Jaipur: NTPC Ltd and Nuclear Power Corp of India (NPCI), through their joint venture Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam, plan to start construction on the Mahi Banswara nuclear power plant in Rajasthan before the end of the fiscal year 2024-25. The project, with a capacity of 2.8 gigawatts (GW), is estimated to cost Rs 50,000 crore. A senior executive of the company mentioned that the foundation stone will be laid in the next two to four months.
 

NTPC had previously signed a supplementary joint venture agreement with NPCI for the development of the Mahi Banswara project and another nuclear plant in Chutka, Madhya Pradesh, with a capacity of 1.4 GW. However, NPCIL will now undertake the Chutka project independently.
 

Additionally, NTPC is exploring the establishment of Bharat Small Reactors as announced in the Budget, aligning with its plan to add 60 GW of green energy capacity by 2032. The National Electricity Plan aims to add 19.7 GW of nuclear capacity by 2032.
 

NTPC is considering the development of nuclear power plants in Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat, and other states, and is in the process of identifying potential sites and obtaining approvals.
 

NTPC has diversified into renewable energy sources including wind, solar, hydro, nuclear energy, and chemicals like ethanol and methanol. The company plans to set up a 1,000 MW pumped storage plant in Tamil Nadu.
 

In November this year, NTPC intends to launch the initial public offering (IPO) of its green arm, NTPC Green Energy Ltd (NGEL), aiming to offer 10% ownership through new shares. At the time of the IPO, NGEL is expected to have 4 GW of operating capacity, with 8 GW under construction and another 8 GW in various stages of development. NTPC plans to raise about Rs 8,000 crore from the IPO.
 

Furthermore, NTPC has awarded a tender for the purchase of 1 million tonnes of coal from a commercial mining company for the first time, aiming to reduce its imports. /BI