Centre to help Bihar in setting up nuclear power plant: Khattar
Patna: Union energy minister
Manohar Lal Khattar
on Tuesday said the Centre will help Bihar set up a nuclear power plant, announcing a plan to install six
small modular reactors
across the country, including one in the state.
Addressing a press conference in Patna after presiding over the 5th regional conference of energy ministers of the eastern region this afternoon, he said every state has demanded a nuclear power plant.
"Work is going on in the country on thermal power, solar, wind power and storage projects. A plan has been made to build at least one nuclear power plant in all the states. Plans have been prepared to meet the power requirements till 2035," he said.
Giving the slogan, "Power for all and all times", the Union minister said Bihar had made a demand for nuclear power and that the Centre would help the state. "A demand has also been made for 1000MW power storage in Bihar. Additional 500MW will be supplied to the state in the next six months," he said.
CS Amrit Lal Meena had requested the Centre in April to set up a nuclear power plant in Nawada district following the state govt's discussion with NTPC. The state govt would provide water for the project from Phulwaria Dam in the district, he had indicated.
Meanwhile, Khattar said India is a power surplus country. "We are now supplying electricity to many countries, including Bangladesh, Nepal and Bhutan. India's current power requirement is 242 gigawatts and this requirement is being successfully met," he said.
The minister also praised Bihar for its achievements in the power sector. Many things have improved rapidly, he said and praised the success of installing 80 lakh smart meters in Bihar. "This is a record. Bihar was considered backward in the power sector but today it has progressed a lot," he said.
Bihar energy minister Bijendra Prasad Yadav said establishment of nuclear power plants in the states is an important step and will contribute to the development of the entire country. "This will not only increase power generation, but also create new employment opportunities. This initiative of the central govt can open doors to new possibilities in the field of energy in Bihar," he said.
In the Union Budget 2025-26, Rs 1.5 lakh crore has been allocated in 50-year interest-free loans to support states' capital expenditures, which can help in strengthening the transmission infrastructure, Khattar said, and underscored the importance of cybersecurity in the power sector. He spoke about Islanding Schemes as the effective measures to prevent power outages owing to cyber incidents and enable resilience of grid.
He also said that distribution is the most critical link in the power sector value chain, noting that the power sector requires an estimated Rs 42 lakh crore by 2032.
Besides Yadav, Shripad Yesso Naik, minister of state for power and renewable energy; Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, deputy CM, Odisha; Sudivya Kumar, UDHD minister, Jharkhand; the Union power secretary, secretaries (power/energy) of participating states/UTs and senior officers attended the conference.
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