NEW DELHI: Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh, informed Parliament on Wednesday that the Government is aiming to bring at least five indigenous small modular nuclear reactors into operation by 2033 as the country heads towards its goal of achieving 100 GWe nuclear power generation capacity by 2047.

 

 The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is developing a 220-megawatt Bharat Small Modular Reactor, a 55-MW reactor and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed to produce hydrogen, the minister said in a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha.

 

The government has drawn up a roadmap for reaching the 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047 as announced in the Nuclear Energy Mission. As per the roadmap, the present nuclear power capacity of 8.78 GW is expected to reach about 22 GW by 2031-32 on progressive completion of projects presently at various stages of implementation, the minister explained.

 

Parliament has enacted the SHANTI Act, 2025, focused on the Nuclear Energy Mission of the Government of India, to achieve a target of 100 GW by 2047. This Act opens the nuclear energy sector to private participation.

 

Another 32 GW of nuclear power capacity is envisaged to be set up beyond 2032 by NPCIL, comprising indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and Light Water Reactors (LWR) by 2047, taking the capacity to about 54 GW. As per the roadmap, the balance of 46 GW is expected to be set up by other Public Sector Enterprises, State Governments, Private sector and Joint Ventures in different business models, comprising reactors of different technologies, the minister said.

 

Atomic Energy Commission has approved Tarapur, Maharashtra, as site for the 220-megawatt Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200). The in-principle approval for engineering and construction of BSMR-200 has been received. The proposal for administrative and financial sanction has been cleared by the Atomic Energy Commission, and the approval of the Empowered Technology Group has also been obtained.

 

The SMR-55 is based on Pressurised Water Reactor design. The in-principle approval for engineering and construction of SMR-55 has also been received. The Atomic Energy Commission has approved Tarapur, Maharashtra as the site for SMR-55

 

The up to 5 MWth HTGCR is being designed and developed by BARC as a nuclear heat source for suitable thermochemical cycle, such as the copper-chlorine cycle, for hydrogen production. The in-principle approval for engineering and construction of HTGCR has been received. The proposed site for the reactor is BARC, Vizag, the minister added.

 

--IANS