The state-controlled nuclear power sector in India is exploring allowing more private companies to participate in order to construct tiny modular reactors that will aid in the decarbonization of industry.
Federal atomic energy minister Jitendra Singh said Wednesday in a written response to queries in parliament that the nation is rewriting its six-decade-old atomic energy law to permit more participation from non-state enterprises. India presently permits private technology and nuclear plant development, but federal government corporations maintain control over operations and fuel management.
As India, the third-largest emitter of greenhouse emissions, looks for renewable energy sources to lessen its dependence on coal, which now generates around 70% of India’s electricity, discussion of modular reactors, or SMRs, has picked up steam recently. In order to achieve its objective of becoming net zero by 2070, the country has pledged to having half of its power generation capacity run on clean sources by the end of this decade.
In-depth technical discussions are being held to evaluate the viability of the SMR technology, and the government is looking into partnering with other nations to develop such reactors together, according to Singh.
The largest power producer in the nation, state-run NTPC Ltd., has established itself as a nuclear power leader by placing a huge wager on SMRs since they are quicker to construct and simpler to modify to grid requirements. They can also be used in distant areas as an off-grid power solution. The technology is still in its infancy. According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, two reactors were operational at a floating nuclear project in Russia and two more were operational in China as of the previous year.
India now has an atomic power capacity of roughly 7.5 gigawatts, all of which are run by the government-owned Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. By 2031, the country wants to increase it to over 22.5 gigawatts, according to Singh. According to Singh, the growth will mostly occur through large-scale plants.
