Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), which is planning to set up a 6 x 1,000 MW nuclear plant at Kovvada in Srikakulam district is likely to enhance the capacity to 6 x 1,594 MW.

A formal approval from the Centre regarding the enhanced capacity is likely to be received soon. The power plant will be able to generate power of 9,564 MW as the total site potential is 10,000 MW.

NPCIL has identified Economic Simplified Boiling Water Reactor (ESBWR), from US-based firm, GE Hitachi for the project.

Once approval from the Centre is received, NPCIL will undertake the Environment Impact Assessment and public hearing.

Construction of the project will take at least one and half years to take off once approval from the Ministry of Environment & Forests is in place. However, the company will undertake pre-project activities like geo-technical investigations about the soil characteristics during this period. NPCIL is also concentrating on developing the township and improving the infrastructure including roads, excavation for reactor and ground-levelling works at the site.