NPCIL
🇮🇳 Mumbai, IN · Active
Also known as Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited
The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is a state-owned company based in Mumbai, wholly owned by the Government of India and administered by the Department of Atomic Energy. It was created in September 1987 to design, build and operate India's nuclear power stations, and was the only builder and operator of India's commercial reactors until BHAVINI was set up in 2003. As of February 2026 it had 24 reactors in operation at seven sites, with total installed capacity of 8,180 MWe. The reactor types it operates include Indian-designed pressurised heavy water reactors (IPHWR-220, IPHWR-540 and IPHWR-700), boiling water reactors and Russian-designed VVER-1000 units.
- Sector
- Fission
- Technology
- Pressurised heavy-water reactor
- Role
- Reactor developer, Operator
Terms
- Pressurised heavy-water reactor
- Heavy water (deuterium oxide) kept under pressure as both coolant and moderator, which absorbs far fewer neutrons than ordinary water and so lets the reactor run on natural, unenriched uranium. That is the CANDU design's defining trade: heavy water is expensive to produce, but the fuel needs no enrichment plant. Fuel is natural or slightly enriched uranium oxide, usually in horizontal pressure tubes, refuelled online without shutting the reactor down.
Designs
| Design | Developer | Approach | Electrical output per unit | Size class | Licensing stage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| IPHWR-700 700 MWe PHWR, Indian PHWR-700 | NPCIL | Pressurised heavy-water reactor | 700 MWe claimed | Large reactor | No milestone recorded |