5 indigenous small modular reactors targeted by 2033, Jitendra Singh tells LS

U io
MoS
Jite d a
Si gh
speaks
i
the
Lok
Sabha
du i g
the
Mo soo
sessio
of
Pa liame t

NEW
DELHI:
A
key
objective
of
the
govt
u de
the
Nuclea
E e gy
Missio
is
to
develop
a d
ope atio alise
at
least
five
i dige ous
small
modula
eacto s
by
2033,
mi iste
fo
depa tme t
of
atomic
e e gy
Jite d a
Si gh
said
i
a
w itte
eply
i
the
Lok
Sabha
o
Wed esday.Bhabha
Atomic
Resea ch
Ce t e
(BARC)
is
u de taki g
the
desig
a d
developme t
of
i dige ous
SMR
tech ologies,
i cludi g
the
220
MWe
Bha at
Small
Modula
Reacto
(BSMR-200)
a d
55
MWe
SMR-55
fo
powe
ge e atio .
BARC
is
also
developi g
a
high
tempe atu e
gas
cooled
eacto
(HTGCR)
of
up
to
5
MW
capacity,
which
ca
be
coupled
with
a
suitable
the mochemical
cycle
fo
hyd oge
p oductio .Si gh
said
I dia
is
steadily
st e gthe i g
its
i dige ous
uclea
e e gy
ecosystem
with
a
focus
o
adva ced
eacto
tech ologies,
SMRs,
domestic
ma ufactu i g
capabilities,
p ivate-secto
pa ticipatio
a d
lo g-te m
utilisatio
of
the
cou t y’s
abu da t
tho ium
esou ces.
The
govt
has
adopted
a
two-p o ged
app oach
to
accele ate
uclea
capacity
additio .
This
i cludes
deployme t
of
la ge
i dige ous
eacto s
such
as
700
MWe
p essu ised
heavy
wate
eacto s
(PHWRs)
a d
adva ced
eacto
desig s
at
g ee field
sites,
alo gside
developme t
a d
deployme t
of
SMRs
at
b ow field
locatio s,
i cludi g
eti i g
fossil-fuel-based
powe
pla ts,
captive
pla ts
fo
e e gy-i te sive
i dust ies
a d
off-g id
applicatio s
i
emote
a eas.

The
mi iste
also
highlighted
co ti ui g
wo k
of
the
I di a
Ga dhi
Ce t e
fo
Atomic
Resea ch
(IGCAR)
i
adva ci g
the
seco d
stage
of
I dia’s
uclea
powe
p og amme.
IGCAR
is
pu sui g
multidiscipli a y
scie tific
esea ch
a d
adva ced
e gi ee i g
developme t
fo
sodium
cooled
fast
b eede
eacto s
a d
associated
closed
fuel-cycle
facilities,
tech ologies
that
emai
a
co e sto e
of
I dia’s
lo g-te m
uclea
st ategy.

O
tho ium,
Si gh
said
I dia
is
pu sui g
its
th ee-stage
uclea
powe
p og amme,
based
o
a
closed
fuel
cycle,
to
optimise
utilisatio
of
its
u a ium
esou ces
a d
p og essively
ha ess
its
abu da t
tho ium
ese ves.
Tho ium,
bei g
a
fe tile
mate ial,
eeds
to
be
co ve ted
i to
fissile
u a ium-233
i
a
uclea
eacto
befo e
it
ca
be
used
fo
e e gy
ge e atio .I dia
has
al eady
u de take
sustai ed
R&D
towa ds
tho ium
utilisatio .
Tho ium
Oxide
(Tho ia)
pellets
have
bee
used
i
the
i itial
co es
of
ope ati g
PHWRs,
while
Tho ia-based
fuels
have
also
bee
i adiated
i
BARC
esea ch
eacto s.
The
i adiated
Tho ia
pi s
have
bee
ep ocessed
to
obtai
u a ium-233,
which
has
subseque tly
bee
fab icated
as
fuel
fo
the
KAMINI
eacto
at
IGCAR,
Kalpakkam.
Si gh
said
the
Sustai able
Ha essi g
a d
Adva ceme t
of
Nuclea
E e gy
fo
T a sfo mi g
I dia
(SHANTI)
Act,
2025
has
bee
e acted
to
e able
wide
pa ticipatio
of
both
public
a d
p ivate
e tities
i
the
uclea
secto .