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HYDERABAD, Jan. 27

THE Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) expects to gross a turnover of Rs 4,500 crores by end of the current fiscal, a 20 per cent growth compared to its performance during year 2000-01, according to its Chairman and Managing Director (CMD), Mr V.K. Chaturvedi.

The nuclear power utility, with a string of 14 operating nuclear plants across the country, had earned a gross profit of Rs 1200 crore during 2000-01. It hoped to do better this fiscal, Mr Chaturvedi told newspersons here.

The NPC is also confident of improving the operating efficiency of the power plants from 82 per cent capacity factor (cf) to 83 per cent cf. A major cause of worry, however, was the collection and recovery of dues from the State Electricity Boards (SEBs), Mr Chaturvedi said.

Though things had improved in the last few years, this constraint meant low internal surpluses which could be reinvested in new projects, the NPC Chief, who was here receiving a sophisticated equipment from MTAR Technologies for its upcoming 540 MW, third unit of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS), said.

Referring to the progress of the Koodankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu, Mr Chaturvedi said the first step of concretising would begin on March 31 at the site. The design and excavation work had been completed and finances tied up for the Russian-aided 2 x 1000 MW light water reactor plants.

While the first unit is expected to be completed and start production by the end of 2007, the second unit would be ready in April 2008, he said.

Mr Chaturvedi, who was head of the site selection committee of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), also disclosed that four new locations for setting up nuclear power plants had been identified in Andhra Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Punjab or Haryana.

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