The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has granted approval for setting up four 700 megawatt electric (MWe) Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) at the Mahi Banswara site in Rajasthan. The clearance was provided after a three-tier review, subject to full compliance with stipulated conditions.

The proposal was submitted by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) for the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (MBRAPP). The project is being developed by Anushakti Vidyut Nigam, a joint venture between NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

The approval includes siting consent for units one to four. However, the AERB stated that this consent is non-transferable and will be subject to re-review in case of non-compliance.

These units form part of the government's fleet mode plan to build ten 700 MWe PHWRs, approved in 2017. Other plants under this scheme include two units each at Kaiga in Karnataka, Gorakhpur in Haryana, and Chutka in Madhya Pradesh.

Source:PTI via The Week