Nuclear Power Park coming up near Berhampur

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), the Central government owned public sector unit has got official clearance for four massive nuclear parks that could generate as much as 45,000 MW, equal to roughly one-third of India's entire installed capacity today. NPCIL has evinced interest to set up one of these mega nuclear power plants at Patisonapur near Berhampur in Orissa. The survey work for establishment of a shore based 12000 MW power plant with an investment of Rs.36, 000 crore in three phases has begun in the area located about 20 km from Berhampur.

The sites chosen so far for the massive nuclear power parks are Patisonapur (Berhampur) in Orissa, Haripur in West Bengal, Mithirvirdi in Gujarat and Kowadi in Andhra Pradesh. Six to eight reactors, of 1,000-1,650 MW, will be installed at each nuclear park. All four sites chosen by the NPCIL for nuclear parks are at coastal locations. Much of the massive nuclear equipment to be imported for the parks is too big to fit on railway wagons or trucks, and is better transported by barges to a coastal site. All four sites have been cleared for soil quality, flood risk, seismicity and other geo-morphological features.