NPCIL and Gujarat's state generator sign MoU to look for new nuclear sites in the state

Serguey Asael Shinder05 October 2026, 07:132 min read

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Gujarat State Electricity Corporation Limited (GSECL) have signed a memorandum of understanding to explore and identify sites in the western state of Gujarat for new nuclear power projects, World Nuclear News reported.

What the MoU covers. According to NPCIL, the agreement provides for collaboration and discussions between the two organisations, sharing of relevant information, identification of potential sites, and assessment of their technical suitability for nuclear power. It does not name a site, a reactor design, a capacity or a timetable. NPCIL described it on social media as an important step in exploring Gujarat's potential to contribute to India's nuclear programme, and tied it to the government's development agenda and India's goal of net-zero emissions by 2070.

Where India stands. The country has 24 operable reactors with a capacity of nearly 8 GWe, and eight more units under construction with a combined 6 GWe, according to the report. The government's target is 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047, which would require roughly a sevenfold increase on what is operating and being built today.

Why a state utility. The partner is the state's own generating company, so the search starts with an organisation that already plans power projects in Gujarat rather than with NPCIL alone; the MoU text as reported does not say which sites or assets GSECL brings. The MoU follows a series of similar moves as India opens its nuclear sector, including a public consultation on rules under its new nuclear legislation, which WNN lists alongside this report.

What it means

An MoU to look for sites is the first step of a process measured in decades, and its news value is the direction rather than the scale. The 100 GWe goal cannot be met at existing sites alone, so the number of states signing up to host new plants is one of the clearest early indicators of whether the target is being treated as a plan.