BHUBANESWAR, Sept. 23
Odisha has given in-principle approval to NTPC and Adani Power to conduct feasibility studies for nuclear power projects at several locations in the state, taking an initial step towards adding atomic energy to a power system currently dominated by thermal, hydro and renewable generation.
The approvals are preliminary and no nuclear power plant has been sanctioned at any of the locations under consideration. Site surveys and detailed feasibility studies will first have to determine whether the proposed locations are suitable for nuclear facilities.
Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo, who also holds the Energy portfolio, told the Odisha Assembly on Wednesday that state-owned NTPC had been permitted to examine four locations. The company has since selected a site near Deogarh for further study.
Adani Power has received in-principle approval to assess locations near the Balimela Dam in Malkangiri district and Manjore Dam in Angul district.
“Of these, a site near Deogarh has now been selected by NTPC for further action. Adani Power has received in-principle approval to examine sites near the Balimela Dam in Malkangiri district and the Manjore Dam in Angul district,” Singh Deo told the Assembly.
The state government had received nuclear power proposals from NTPC, Adani Power and Tata Power. Only NTPC and Adani Power have so far received in-principle approval for feasibility studies.
Tata Power has also expressed interest in establishing a nuclear facility in Malkangiri. It identified Odisha, Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat as possible locations for projects with capacity of either two 220 MW reactors or two 700 MW reactors at each site, depending on the reactor technology selected.
A senior Odisha Energy Department official stressed that the proposals remained at an early stage.
“The projects remain at a preliminary stage, with site surveys and feasibility assessments yet to establish whether the locations can support nuclear facilities. No nuclear power plant has been sanctioned at any of the sites so far,” the official said.
NTPC’s approval covers four potential locations, including Deogarh, Nayagada and Nabarangpur. The company has chosen Deogarh for further work, although the capacity, reactor technology and investment required for a project there have yet to be determined.
NTPC is pursuing a much larger nuclear programme nationally. The state-owned power producer plans to develop about 30 gigawatts of nuclear capacity and is assessing potential locations in several states, including Madhya Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Gujarat.
Adani Power has submitted a more specific proposal to the Odisha government. It has suggested developing two nuclear plants, each with a capacity of 2,800 MW, with a combined investment of about ₹1.5 trillion.
The company has also proposed an ultra-supercritical thermal power plant and a series of pumped-storage projects in Odisha.
The locations being studied by Adani Power are associated with existing reservoirs and power infrastructure. Balimela already has a 510 MW hydroelectric station operated by Odisha Hydro Power Corporation. Its reservoir is a joint project between Odisha and Andhra Pradesh, with the two states sharing inflows.
Access to water is an important consideration for conventional nuclear reactors because large quantities are required for cooling, but it is only one part of the site-selection process.
An Energy Department official said any decision would require detailed assessments of geology, seismic conditions, hydrology, the environment, population density, emergency planning and other safety considerations.
Those studies mean the state government’s approvals should not be interpreted as clearance to begin construction. Nuclear projects face multiple stages of technical, safety, environmental and regulatory examination before a site can move from an initial proposal towards development.
The Odisha proposals are being considered as India seeks a sharp expansion of nuclear generation over the next two decades.
The country currently has 24 nuclear power reactors in commercial operation, excluding the 100 MW Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Unit 1, with installed capacity of 8.78 GW. Nuclear energy supplied about 3.1 per cent of India’s electricity generation during 2025-26.
India’s operating nuclear stations are located at Tarapur in Maharashtra, Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, Kakrapar in Gujarat, Narora in Uttar Pradesh, Kaiga in Karnataka, and Kalpakkam and Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.
The Union government wants nuclear capacity to reach 100 GW by 2047, more than 11 times the present level. Projects already under implementation are expected to lift installed capacity to about 22 GW by 2031-32.
A further 32 GW is planned through projects to be developed by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd, which would take NPCIL’s contribution to roughly 54 GW. The remaining capacity required to meet the 2047 target is expected to come from other public-sector enterprises, state governments, private companies and joint ventures.
That creates a much larger potential role for power producers such as NTPC and, subject to the applicable legal and regulatory framework, private companies interested in nuclear generation.
For Odisha, however, the immediate process is far more limited. The state has opened the door to technical investigations, not approved nuclear construction.
The feasibility studies at Deogarh, Balimela, Manjore and the other locations will determine whether any of them can progress to the next stage. Until those assessments are completed, the size, technology, investment and eventual location of any nuclear project in Odisha remain undecided.
