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Nuclear Energy Mission: Accelerating Clean & Scalable Power
What’s the News?
- The Government of India has operationalised a Nuclear Energy Mission aimed at transforming the country’s energy portfolio by making nuclear power a major, sustainable source of electricity.
- Under this mission, at least five indigenously designed and developed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are targeted for commissioning by 2033, backed by a ₹20,000 crore budgetary allocation.
- The broader objective is to expand nuclear capacity to around 100 GW by 2047, supporting energy security and long-term environmental goals.
- Parliament has recently passed a landmark atomic energy bill opening the civil nuclear power sector to private participation, a significant policy shift expected to accelerate investment and deployment.
Mission Objectives & Strategic Roadmap
- Capacity Expansion Targets:
- Achieve 22,480 MW installed nuclear capacity by 2031–32 (current: ~7,480 MW).
- Scale up to 100 GW by 2047 as part of India’s net-zero by 2070 commitment.
- SMR-Specific Goals (by 2033):
- Deploy ≥5 indigenous SMRs, each with capacity ≤300 MW.
- Prioritise remote/off-grid locations, industrial clusters, and hydrogen production hubs for SMR siting.
- R&D & Technology Development:
- Fast-track design validation of Indian SMR prototypes (e.g., PWR-based 100–300 MW units and HTR/MSR concepts).
- Establish dedicated SMR Test & Integration Facility under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).
- Industrial & Institutional Framework:
- NPCIL (Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd) to lead deployment.
- Encourage public-private partnerships (PPPs) and collaborations with DRDO, ISRO, IITs, and start-ups under Make in India.
Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)
- SMRs are compact nuclear units with modular components that allow phased deployment, lower upfront costs, and enhanced safety features compared to large reactors.
- SMRs like BSMR-200 leverage India’s existing PHWR expertise (e.g., derived from IPHWR-220 designs).
Nuclear Energy and India
What is Nuclear Energy?
- Nuclear energy is generated through nuclear fission, where heavy atoms like Uranium-235 or Plutonium-239 split to release large amounts of energy.
- It provides base-load electricity with very low greenhouse gas emissions.
India’s Nuclear Energy Programme
- Guided by Homi J. Bhabha, India follows a Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme to utilise its limited uranium and abundant thorium resources.
Three-Stage Programme
- Stage 1:
- Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)
- Uses natural uranium; produces plutonium as by-product.
- Stage 2:
- Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs)
- Uses plutonium; breeds more fuel.
- Stage 3:
- Thorium-based reactors (using Uranium-233)
- Key to India’s long-term energy security.
Current Status
- India operates 22+ nuclear reactors with capacity around 7 GW.
- Targets ~100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047.
- Recent push towards Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for:
- Industrial use
- Remote areas
- Faster deployment
Institutional & Legal Framework
- Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) – policy and implementation.
- Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) – apex decision-making body.
- NPCIL – reactor construction and operation.
- Atomic Energy Act, 1962 – legal backbone.
- AERB – nuclear safety regulation.
International Dimension
- India–US Civil Nuclear Deal (2008):
- Ended nuclear isolation.
- Allowed access to global nuclear fuel and technology.
- India is a member of:
- IAEA
- NSG (waiver, not member)