Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and L&T Heavy Engineering have marked a major milestone in India’s indigenous nuclear fleet program with the completion and dispatch of the steam generator for Phase-II of the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP).

The "flagging off" ceremony celebrated the timely achievement, as the critical component was manufactured and delivered seven months ahead of schedule—an accomplishment NPCIL hailed as proof of India’s industrial capability to meet nuclear construction demands with both speed and precision.

Steam generators, serving as vital heat exchangers in pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), transfer reactor heat from the primary coolant system to produce steam in the secondary circuit that drives turbines for power generation.

The Gorakhpur project will ultimately host four indigenously designed 700 MWe PHWRs, constructed in two phases, and is a key element of India’s nuclear expansion strategy. Units 1 and 2 received government sanction in 2014, backed by a siting licence from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) in 2015, while Units 3 and 4 were approved in 2018 under the government’s fleet-mode construction program of ten 700 MWe PHWRs.

Excavation activities for the first phase commenced in 2018, though nuclear island work faced delays due to ground stabilisation needs; recent parliamentary replies indicated that Units 1 and 2 are targeted for commissioning in 2031–32.

NPCIL emphasised that this early delivery strengthens the foundation for India’s proactive fleet construction approach, further aligning with the national objective of achieving 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047.

Positioned as a cornerstone of the “Viksit Bharat” vision—India’s roadmap to becoming a fully developed nation by its centenary year of independence—the Gorakhpur project underscores the synergy of indigenous technological excellence and infrastructure readiness in advancing clean, reliable, and sustainable energy solutions.

Agencies