Madurai: The Central government is planning to amend the Atomic Energy Act-1962 to encourage private sector participation in conventional areas, chairman and managing director (CMD) of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) V K Chathurvedi said.

Talking to reporters after inaugurating the Reverse Osmosis Plant and participating in the 'Bhoomipooja' for the construction of turbine building and other civil structure at Koodankulam on August 1, he said that NPCIL's proposal in this regard was under the consideration of the Centre.

He said with the interest rate being low the cost of power production and power tariff could come down.

With the co-ordinated efforts, the construction of the two 1,000 mw units at Koodankulam could be completed ahead of the schedule. The unit-I could be completed in 62 months after the commencement of the work, he said.

Quoting the Union power Minister Suresh Prabhu, he said that the government wanted to take up nuclear power generation projects in states which were located very far from the coal mines.

He felt that during the 11th plan, the nuclear plants would be the only alternative for the country.

Chathurvedi said that at present the NPCIL's eight units were under construction and the target was to add an average 800 mw of power every year in the next five to six years.

The phase of construction of new units would be increased to achieve a target of 1,000 mw every year in the 11th, 12th and 13th plans so that the total installed capacity would reach 20,000 mw by 2020, he said.

The NPCIL was under pressure to double its efforts in the Western and Southern regions where the power problem was acute, he said.

He said that Koodankulam would have six units, of which two were under construction. Construction of two units would be started in 2004-05. The first unit would become operational in 2007. By 2008 the construction of the last unit would begin, be said.

PTI