Nuclear Fuel Complex is in the process of expediting the implementation of the Rs 4,200 crore second facility coming up at Kota in Rajasthan.
The Hyderabad-based strategic PSU serves as a critical support link powering the fuel needs of the country’s nuclear power programme.
Dinesh Srivastava, chairman and CEO of Nuclear Fuel Complex, said, “We are in the process of implementing the second Nuclear Fuel Complex in the country at Kota which will be ready by next year. This will have capacity to produce about 500 tonnes of fuel and be developed with a capacity to expand up to 1000 tonnes per annum. The Hyderabad NFC complex has a capacity to produce about 1,500-tonne bundles with capacity to be expanded up to 1,800 tonnes. Currently we are producing about 1100-1200 tonnes. The increase in production capacity is aimed at meeting the growing requirement of Indian nuclear plants with many more plants at various stages of planning and development.”
The Kota facility coming up is located adjacent to the existing Heavy Water Plant. The project will be located on a 190-hectare site with additional township area of 25 hectares. The plant capacity is 500 tonnes per annum fuel fabrication and 65 tonnes per annum of fuel cladding fabrication. The capacity of fuel cladding fabrication will be further augmented by 100 tonnes a year.
The project is in advance stage and many work orders and purchase orders have already been placed and the NFC project is progressing. NFC Kota project has already achieved several milestones including site grading, basic infrastructural activities, ware houses, provision of construction power and provision of construction water among others. The plant and non-plant construction is in advance stages of completion.