It is reported that Jindal Steel & Power Limited plans to set up nuclear power plants once the government opens up atomic energy to the private sector.

A senior executive at the company said that “We are looking at the nuclear option. Oe the Indian government allows the entry of the private companies into that sector, we plan to diversify into the nuclear power generation space.”

According to the current guidelines, atomic energy is the exclusive preserve of the Union government. Nuclear power plants can be set up only by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, a public sector firm under the department of atomic energy. The sector is expected to be opened up to the private sector and other state owned firms with changes in the existing legal and policy framework if the Indo US civilian nuclear cooperation deal is passed by the US Congress.

The company has set up a 1,000 MW thermal power plant at Raigarh in Chhattisgarh and plans to set up additional capacities of 2,520 MW and 2,640 MW in Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand respectively.