Bharat Rakshak

We are looking to build 200 SMR nuclear reactors in India

The specific claim of building 200 SMR nuclear reactors in India could be a little hype, IMO, but it likely reflects an aspirational projection or long-term strategic goal by Holtec . The figure suggests ambition toward scaling up nuclear infrastructure, complementing India’s r goal of expanding nuclear capacity to support energy security and decarbonization.

Few indicators for this ambition:

- India has begun opening its nuclear sector to private participation, as evident from recent policy moves and corporate interest.
- India’s 2025 budget includes a ₹200 billion Nuclear Energy Mission, aiming for at least five SMRs by 2033.

Amber G. wrote: ↑23 Aug 2025 23:46 We are looking to build 200 SMR nuclear reactors in India

The specific claim of building 200 SMR nuclear reactors in India could be a little hype, IMO, but it likely reflects an aspirational projection or long-term strategic goal by Holtec . The figure suggests ambition toward scaling up nuclear infrastructure, complementing India’s r goal of expanding nuclear capacity to support energy security and decarbonization.

Few indicators for this ambition:

- India has begun opening its nuclear sector to private participation, as evident from recent policy moves and corporate interest.
- India’s 2025 budget includes a ₹200 billion Nuclear Energy Mission, aiming for at least five SMRs by 2033.

With the current state of India-US relations, there may be preference for suppliers from France and Russia, and the indigenous Bharat SMRs. We had prior discussions on this thread...several more companies (indian and foreign) are now involved in creating the ecosystem, which de-risks this emerging technology.

NTPC to mark nuclear power entry with 2,800 Mw project next month

Marking its entry into the nuclear power domain, state-owned power generator NTPC Ltd will next month lay the foundation stone for its 2,800 megawatt (MW) nuclear power project at Banswara in Rajasthan.

The project will house four pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW capacity each.

“We have decided, rightfully, we will go very aggressive on nuclear. We plan to add 30 gigawatt (GW) nuclear power capacity by 2047,” NTPC Chairman and Managing Director Gurdeep Singh said at the BloombergNEF Summit here.

“The foundation stone laying as part of the JV project with NPCIL should happen next month. It is as close as that,” he added.

Book reveals how Ajit Doval uncovered Pakistan's nuclear secrets disguised as beggar
Ajit Doval, working undercover in Pakistan in the early 1980s, exposed the country’s secret nuclear programme by disguising himself as a beggar and collecting scientists’ hair from a barber shop that tested positive for uranium traces.

I really do think the SMRs are not going to be successful in an Indian context. This has nothing to do with the underlying technology. I have no doubt they will be safer, faster to install and cheaper to manufacture than conventional ones. However they are not “nuclear batteries” on the lines of RTG that you can say , bury for 20 years and forget about it. We will get there but aren’t there yet. They will still require land acquisition, exclusion zones, security etc etc.

It is an extremely difficult ask to acquire land in India. And when you mention “nuclear” a lot of vested interests get involved to scuttle it. Heck, there is opposition to even a solar mega plant in Maharashtra. It will be more advantageous to build more dense 1GW+ reactors in our context. Sure there is a minuscule amount of space for SMRs - but they aren’t going to be popular..

^^ there are over a dozen powerplants under construction already . if its possible to acquire land for lwr/fbr/pwhr than it should be even easier to do so for smr. i think things have improved behind the scenes but more work needs to be done. one seemingly unrelated thingy that 'll have a hige impact in many areas is the end of naxalism. people might remember the kudankulam protests. they were organized by naxal affiliates. a lot of the ngo types have vanished last few years. many lessons have been learned as well.

what needs to happen is the barc /aec need better coordination. they have solid scientists and if u look at any major nook journal these dins the best papers come from india . however there is a massive problem of scaling and commercialization. thats what they need to work on.

^^^ is land acquisition for solar panel farms less or more different than land acquisition for SMRs?

A_Gupta wrote: ↑26 Aug 2025 22:05 ^^^ is land acquisition for solar panel farms less or more different than land acquisition for SMRs?

The main difference is NPP acquisition is always done by the government as NPCIL is fully owned public sector body.
Solar plants can be privately owned and captive as well.

In the MH case, it is simple rent seeking. Any ordinary local nobody politico will start an agitation to raise his profile unless he gets his hafta.

^^^ Few comments:
Adding to Tanaji's:
Today - Land acquisition for SMRs in India is just as hard as for full-scale nuclear, arguably harder per MW due to exclusion zones.

Future: If (big if) safety regulations evolve (smaller EPZs), and if India allows private-sector or PPP-driven SMR projects on industrial/brownfield land, acquisition could become .. easier...have to see years down the line:

-- At pressent Present Situation (2025) (From reputablesoures)

Legal/Procedural Framework
- All nuclear power in India is under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962. Only the Government of India (via NPCIL or BHAVINI) can build and operate nuclear plants.

- Land acquisition for nuclear plants follows the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013 (LARR), plus special security and environmental clearance requirements.
For SMRs specifically (Even though SMRs are smaller, they still require):
- Exclusion zones (a buffer area around the reactor, typically ~1.5 km in India).
- Emergency planning zones (~5–16 km, depending on reactor type).
- Security perimeters (armed guarding, fencing, restricted access).

And as Tanaji said Public perception: Anything labeled “nuclear” attracts much more scrutiny, opposition..
Comparison to Sol - Solar projects can be privately initiated and often involve direct lease arrangements with farmers or local communities.

Nuclear projects must be centralized, state-driven, and therefore more prone to political delays, protests, and litigation.

(The “Maharashtra solar opposition” you mentioned was more about local rent-seeking; nuclear projects face both rent-seeking and ideological/environmental resistance)

My hope for the future:
-Policy/Governance Changes - (If the government amends the Atomic Energy Act to allow public-private partnerships in nuclear (especially SMRs)
- Clearer exclusion zone guidelines for advanced SMRs (e.g., passive safety designs with smaller EPZs) could shrink the land requirement significantly.


- If SMRs are marketed as “industrial decarbonization tools” (for steel, fertilizers, hydrogen, data centers, etc.), sited inside or near existing industrial complexes, opposition could weaken.

Demonstration of first successful SMRs in friendly countriesmight help India relax rules over time.
Also as some are thinking
-If SMRs are placed on brownfield sites (existing coal plant sites being retired, or within larger NPCIL campuses), land acquisition hurdles drop sharply.

If the hoops to jump through are nearly the same, then why not build a full scale NPP?!

Because India needs both gigawatt plants and SMRs for energy security. We are investing in SMRs not as an alternative to large NPPs, but to add flexible, scalable nuclear capacity that supports energy security and decarbonization where big plants aren’t practical.

In India-Japan economic forum - Nuclear energy took the spotlight - India announces clean energy roadmap with private engagement-

-India said it targets 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047.
Some stat:
Number of operational nuclear reactors:

USA: 94
China: 57
France: 57
Russia: 36
South Korea: 26
India: 21
Canada: 17
Ukraine: 15
Japan: 14
UK: 9
....
...
Pakistan 6

Looks like this thread on nuclear physics is getting mined by AI bots and others. I’ve even seen bits from here show up in some serious media/write-ups.

Anyway, I recently caught a KBC episode. (I don’t usually watch it, but I happened to see a few in US while visiting some friends.) Funny enough, one of the questions reminded me of something I had asked here.

What I asked here was:

Amber G. wrote: ↑12 Jun 2025 01:42 ^^^ Interesting learnings from last question..thanks..
FWIW: Again

Just for fun — Can you answer this without looking it up?:

Q1 Which Indian physicist, played a key role in applying nuclear physics to national planning, and was instrumental in the early conceptualization of India's atomic energy program — before Homi Bhabha formalized it?

(a) D.M. Bose
(b) K.S. Krishnan
(c) D.D. Kosambi
(d) M.N. Saha

e

The question (I think 50,00,000) was something like :

Which of these renowned Indian scientists studied under Sir J.J. Thomson, the discoverer of the electron, in Cambridge?...Made contributions to cosmic rays and neutron physics?

The options were:
A) S. N. Bose
B ) D.M. Bose
C) J. C. Bose
D) R.C. Bose

Most/many were amused (and were not quite sure of an answer) to see last name 'Bose' for all..People were impressed that my grand-son (9 yr old - who is used to my questions like this ) knew the answer (and could tell what other other Bose's were famous for - Satyen Nath Bose, Jagadish Chandra Bose, Debendra Mohan Bose, Raj Chandra Bose)

Anyway I was quite impressed that I was able to see similar *good* science questions in KBC.

America’s first modular nuclear reactor begins construction near Idaho lab
Aalo-X marks the first sodium-cooled reactor built in the US in over 40 years, targeting rapid AI energy demand.
Aalo-X -- a significant shift toward factory-made, scalable nuclear solutions tailored to new energy demands—like those from AI infrastructure. If successful, it could catalyze faster, more flexible deployment of SMR's.

https://www.technologyreview.com/2025/0 ... ium-dream/

CleanCore (founded by Indian-American) will be allowed to sell their Thorium fuel that can be used in India's PHWR. Less radioactive waste, more complete burn up of Uranium and less proliferation risk (which frankly we dont worry about from Indian reactors)

This is also a low-risk approach because its not a new reactor design. Only a new type of fuel

What surprises me is that, after 50 years of talks about the 3 stage cycle, we havent brought out innovations like this, especially with our large Thorium reserves. The industry seems too regulated, risk-averse and slow for its own good.

China has also tested a Thorium reactor

^^^ Thanks for the above article from MIT-tech-review.

(There was some discussion about ANEEL previously too.)

Adding to what you posted above, and as said in the above article ..(and mentioned before too):

- ANEEL fuel is a thorium–HALEU hybrid that offers 4× burnup, lower waste, and safety improvements, while being compatible with India’s PHWR fleet. It’s a practical pathway to deploy thorium in the near term, without waiting for advanced breeder reactors to mature.

(ANEEL allows thorium utilization in existing PHWRs now ( instead of waiting FBR's or AHWR[s) and I think it could accelerate India’s Stage 3 nuclear program by years.)

BTW, I am also sure that India’s Th program is much more advanced in planning and R&D than China’s.. ( neither country is yet deploying thorium at a commercial scale.)

ANEEL is a patented, thorium-based nuclear fuel developed by Clean Core Thorium Energy that uses High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU). It provides a more efficient way to utilize abundant thorium reserves, especially in India, by significantly increasing the burnup of the fuel, reducing waste, and lowering operational costs compared to conventional uranium fuel. ANEEL is also designed to be safer and more resistant to nuclear proliferation.

The fuel is named "ANEEL" in honor of Dr. Anil Kakodkar, a renowned Indian nuclear scientist.

Key Benefits
Enhanced Efficiency:
ANEEL achieves a high burnup (60,000 MW-days per tonne), which is about eight times greater than conventional uranium fuel. This drastically reduces the number of fuel bundles needed.

Reduced Waste:
The higher efficiency leads to a significant reduction in the volume of nuclear waste.

Increased Safety:
The fuel is designed to be more resistant to proliferation, improving safety in nuclear reactors.

Economic Advantage:
ANEEL can lower operational costs by using fewer fuel bundles, making nuclear energy more economical.

How it Works
Thorium Activation: Thorium (Th-232) absorbs neutrons within the reactor.
Conversion: It transforms into Uranium-233 (U-233), a fissile material, via decay of Thorium-233 and Protactinium-233.
Fission Chain Reaction: The U-233 then undergoes fission, releasing energy and sustaining the chain reaction required to power the reactor.

Current Development and Future

Testing: ANEEL fuel is undergoing advanced irradiation testing and qualification at the Idaho National Laboratory (INL) in the US, a project supported by a partnership between Clean Core and the US Department of Energy.

Commercialization: The fuel is expected to be commercialized in 2026.

India's Nuclear Future: The development of ANEEL fuel aligns with India's three-stage nuclear program and its goal of achieving net-zero energy by 2070, by enabling the immediate use of its large thorium reserves.

https://cleancore.energy/team

^^^Thx..
In Indian Media:
Chicago firm’s thorium nuclear fuel leap & export nod could ‘give new life to US-India 123 Agreement

New Delhi: Chicago-based firm Clean Core Thorium Energy (CCTE), which was granted an export licence by the US government last week to commercialise the thorium-based nuclear fuel that it has developed, is now looking for regulatory approvals in India for sharing the nuclear technology for deployment in Indian reactor

Alos Kerala may set up thorium power plant

Some time ago I wished:

My hope for the future:
-Policy/Governance Changes - (If the government amends the Atomic Energy Act to allow public-private partnerships in nuclear (especially SMRs)

Nice to hear..

NITI Aayog working on amendments to open nuclear power for private sector

US, India seal nuclear tech transfer deal

Meanwhile ..Despite US-India tensions and Trump-era tariffs , the first nuclear technology transfer under the 123 Civil Nuclear Agreement has been signed. Flowserve US and India’s CORE Energy Systems formalized a deal to transfer Primary Coolant Pump (PCP) technology—critical for reactor safety and efficiency—for local manufacture in Coimbatore. Approved by the US DOE and India’s Department of Atomic Energy, the agreement aims to strengthen India’s domestic nuclear supply chain, boost private sector participation, and support the “Atmanirbhar Bharat” and “Make in India” initiatives.

Abhijit Chavda, a physics person himself, claims that India ploughed its own independent path in terms of nuke pataka. He goes on to say that the Puke one is either Ameriki (including warhead) and/or Cheeni. The french were given advise by Ameriki on what not to do in their quest. The Soviets had espionage on the Ameriki, the cheenis stole from soviets and close chum pal Britshits were given Ameriki help and of course the Israelis were given Ameriki stuff up front. India had no espionage stuff and independently built its nuke pataka and this pisses of Ameriki and their chelas. Prior to WW-II the Nazis were doing work on nuke stuff.

The Amerikis took uranium from Africa for their initial nuke pataka. The Israelis used south africa for the uranium supply and Cheens dipped into the Aksai region for uranium. Indian scientists like Homi Bhaba were gone (by a mystery air crash) prior to nuke pataka blast by India.

The #1 Nuclear Achievement You Won't Believe India Did
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HD98i2aE29M

Abhijit Chavda has an open challenge to anyone to prove him wrong on the above facts.

Many mainstream news papers are covering:

-BARC'sv new, more powerful nuclear reactor for the Indian Navy's next-generation "S-5 class" submarines. This reactor is a upgrade from the 83 MWe capacity of the current reactors on the INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, as it is expected to generate 200 MWe. This will more than double the endurance and extend the submergence time of the new nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines.

A response to China's strengthening naval nuclear deterrent and aims to provide a major operational advantage to the Indian Navy.

Note (see other posts here ) that BARC is also designing other reactors, including:

- A 200 MWe Bharat small modular reactor (SMR)

- A 555 MWe SMR

- A High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor for clean hydrogen production

Sharing:
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre making reactor for Navy's next-generation nuclear-submarines

>>>

Amber G. wrote: ↑22 Sep 2025 20:22 Many mainstream news papers are covering:

-BARC'sv new, more powerful nuclear reactor for the Indian Navy's next-generation "S-5 class" submarines. This reactor is a upgrade from the 83 MWe capacity of the current reactors on the INS Arihant and INS Arighaat, as it is expected to generate 200 MWe. This will more than double the endurance and extend the submergence time of the new nuclear-powered ballistic missile and attack submarines.

A response to China's strengthening naval nuclear deterrent and aims to provide a major operational advantage to the Indian Navy.

Note (see other posts here ) that BARC is also designing other reactors, including:

- A 200 MWe Bharat small modular reactor (SMR)

- A 555 MWe SMR

- A High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor for clean hydrogen production

Sharing:
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre making reactor for Navy's next-generation nuclear-submarines

>>>

The above quoted article in TOI refers to submarine nuclear reactor capacities of 83 MWe and 200 MWe. I wonder if they should read 83 MWth and 200 MWth respectively.

sanatanan

Sanatanan wrote: ↑24 Sep 2025 10:51

Amber G. wrote: ↑22 Sep 2025 20:22
Sharing:
Bhabha Atomic Research Centre making reactor for Navy's next-generation nuclear-submarines

>>>

The above quoted article in TOI refers to submarine nuclear reactor capacities of 83 MWe and 200 MWe. I wonder if they should read 83 MWth and 200 MWth respectively.

sanatanan

^^^ Thanks, You’re right to question those units. In naval propulsion, reactor power is typically quoted in thermal megawatts (MWth), not megawatts electric (MWe).

The Arihant-class reactor is ~83 MWth, and the new S-5 class is expected around 200 MWth. The article likely misreported the units.

(Adding to Sanatanan: A submarine reactor’s thermal-to-propulsion efficiency is usually ~20–30%. So if Arihant’s reactor were really 83 MWe, it would imply a thermal power of ~250–300 MWth, which doesn’t line up with other sources.

Public-domain references (US, UK, Russia, France) almost always list reactor power in thermal terms. For example, US Virginia-class subs are ~210 MWth, not MWe. From what I know, in India official/reputable sources ( 'official' generally will not comment, as actual power will be classified etc) uses just "MW" for these reactors.

(unfortunately It’s common for ToI (and other media) to conflate thermal and electric units, especially when quoting figures out of context)

Thanks. (Sorry I just quoted ToI's figures without paying attention.. now I can not edit my own post)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi will visit Banswara, Rajasthan, to inaugurate and lay foundation stones for major development projects. The highlight is the ₹42,000 crore Mahi-Banswara nuclear plant, alongside a ₹8,500 crore 590 MW renewable energy project in Bikaner, new power transmission lines (15.5 GW capacity), and ₹10,710 crore solar parks.
https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-ne ... 47813.html

Are there any updated versions of IPHWR700 in the pipeline?

https://x.com/GeorgeGeevar/status/1971189399435215191
Scanning Electron Microscope developed by BARC.

Tanaji wrote: ↑25 Sep 2025 00:07 Are there any updated versions of IPHWR700 in the pipeline?

FWIW: There are updates and improvements in the pipeline for the IPHWR-700 family — some incremental ( enriched fuel, domestic components etc.) some may be in deployment scale (“fleet mode”).

BUT - there is no announced major new version - in public sources- that is a radical redesign of IPHWR-700 (like much larger capacity .. new coolant/moderator configuration).

- AHWR-300 is the most significant candidate under R&D. But that is more focused on thorium and different fuel cycles rather than simply an 'enhanced' PHWR-700
(The current plans are very clearly focused on building out the IPHWR-700 fleet in its standard form.. any significant 'update' is internal/classified or not widely disclosed )

My personal opinion;
I am aware that some other commentators, in the name of increasing [yesterday onwards ] nuclear generation (having been rather slow all these days), favour using at least LEU in PHWRs.
For me, use of U enrichment in PHWR fuel is equivalent to blasphemy.

Sanatanan
27/09/2025
=========

Thanks AmberG.

Our demand is so vast that all types can have an application: from 1GW+ monsters to 300MW SMRs to nuclear batteries if and when they arrive , not to mention the BRF classic “burn thorium in our chulah”

IED laid, I am out of here…

PARLIAMENT QUESTION:CLOSED FUEL CYCLE TECHNOLOGY
https://www.pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage ... ID=2153079

India follows a Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle, aligned with its three-stage nuclear power programme in order to optimally utilize India’s limited uranium resources and to exploit its large thorium reserves for long term energy security. It involves the recovery and recycling of fissile and fertile material from spent nuclear fuel (SNF), rather than disposing of it as waste. This approach enables enhanced utilization of nuclear material resources, improves energy security, and minimizes high-level radioactive waste volumes. The programme aims to use domestic uranium in the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and use plutonium obtained from the reprocessing of spent fuel of PHWRs in Fast Breeder Reactors. Large scale use of thorium will subsequently follow, first to breed Uranium-233 from Th-232 and then utilize U-233 as fuel.

Reprocessing facilities are operationalized for reprocessing domestic nuclear spent fuel from PHWRs. For realization of the second stage of the nuclear power programme, Fast Breeder Test Reactor and other facilities were established for material research and proof of design concepts. Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) & integrated nuclear reprocessing plant for fast reactor fuel is under construction at Kalpakkam.

Research on thorium utilization for the third stage of the closed fuel cycle continues to be a high priority R&D area of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). In this regard, necessary R&D is being carried out in Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and other research organisations attached with DAE. Some important highlights of these achievements and activities are the following:

i. Thorium Oxide (Thoria) pellets contained in bundles have been used in the initial cores of PHWRs and valuable experience has been generated in operation and re-use of this irradiated thorium fuel. Thoria based fuels have also been irradiated in the research reactors of BARC. After such irradiation, these fuel elements have been examined in the laboratories at BARC for post-irradiation studies.

ii. The irradiated Thoria pins of research reactors have been reprocessed to obtain Uranium-233. The recovered Uranium-233 has been fabricated as fuel for the 30kW (thermal) KAMINI reactor, which is in operation at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam. This is the only reactor in the world operating with Uranium-233 fuel.

iii. The technologies for fabrication of Thoria based fuel pellets, carrying Uranium 233, have been established at laboratory scale.

Uranium Corporation of India Ltd. ( UCIL ) a Public Sector Undertaking ( PSU ) under Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has been mandated to mine and process uranium ore in the country. In line with DAE’s requirement of uranium to fuel nuclear power plants, UCIL has outlined a plan for expansion which includes maintaining sustained supply from existing facilities through debottlenecking of certain deficiencies, modernization and capacity expansion of some existing units.

Atomic Minerals Directorate for Exploration and Research (AMD), a constituent unit of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), has the mandate to identify, evaluate and augment mineral resources of uranium and thorium in the country.

To strengthen the country's nuclear fuel security and speedy augmentation of these resources, AMD is carrying out integrated and multi-disciplinary exploration (including heliborne and ground geophysical surveys, ground geological, geochemical and radiometric surveys and drilling) in identified thrust areas of the country by utilising state-of-the-art technology.

As on date, AMD has established 4,33,800t in-situ U3O8 resource in 47 uranium deposits located in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Jharkhand, Meghalaya, Rajasthan, Karnataka, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra.

Besides, the Directorate has established 1.18 million tonne (Mt) thorium oxide (ThO2) resource contained in 13.15 Mt in-situ monazite (a mineral containing thorium) resource in 136 deposits associated with the coastal beach and inland placers located in Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Odisha, Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Gujarat, West Bengal and Jharkhand. In addition, 29,900t in-situ ThO2 resource in hard rocks has been established incidental to the rare earth oxide resource in the state of Gujarat.

This information was given by Dr. Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology, Earth Sciences, MoS PMO, MoS Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Department of Atomic Energy and Department of Space, in a written reply in the Lok Sabha today.

Next-generation nuclear technology leverages thorium
https://www.deccanherald.com/science/ne ... um-3714504

In India, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), in collaboration with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Thorium-232 (Th-232) represents a significant advancement in nuclear technology. When converted to Uranium-233 (U-233), it facilitates a chain reaction with an energy density a hundred times higher than conventional U-235.

In India, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), in collaboration with the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) that use relatively small quantities of Th-232 fuel. These reactors, designed to generate up to 300 MWe (megawatts electrical), are compact enough to be deployed in remote regions, industrial clusters, and disaster-resilient infrastructure, with the potential to power an entire district.

New achievement

India has now reached this stage, with BARC engineers recently announcing the development of small nuclear reactors capable of supplying electricity to an entire district for years using only a small quantity of Th-232.

India’s Nuclear Leap: 100 GW Target Sparks Private Sector Surge
India is very energy hungry and to power a developed India by 2047, clean low carbon energy is required in a big way and use of nuclear energy is inevitable. India’s nuclear energy ambitions are accelerating with a bold 100 GW target. NITI Aayog Member, Dr. V. K. Saraswat tells NDTV’s Science Editor Pallava Bagla that reforms to the Atomic Energy Act will enable private sector participation, fast-track Small Modular Reactors or SMRs. Undoubtedly Russia remains a key partner in India’s nuclear road map.

Sanatanan wrote: ↑27 Sep 2025 10:50 My personal opinion;
I am aware that some other commentators, in the name of increasing [yesterday onwards ] nuclear generation (having been rather slow all these days), favour using at least LEU in PHWRs.
For me, use of U enrichment in PHWR fuel is equivalent to blasphemy.

Sanatanan
27/09/2025
=========

I have to admit, calling enriched fuel in PHWRs ‘blasphemy’ really caught my attention — and made me smile! Your perspective on why natural uranium is essential sounds like it comes from deep experience. I’d love to hear more: what are the key technical or operational reasons that make PHWRs so ‘sacred’ in this regard? Any historical examples or lessons learned would be fascinating too..

Fuel loading at India's first fast breeder reactor in Kalpakkam to begin next week - PTI - ET

Having overcome multiple challenges, fuel loading at India's first prototype fast-breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam is expected to start next week.

Nuclear scientists, working on the sodium-cooled 500 MWe reactor, had encountered some problems.

"Early next week we will start loading the fuel. Last time, after the prime minister inaugurated it, we could not load the fuel as we encountered some technical problems. We have solved them now," a senior official told PTI.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi had witnessed the core loading at the facility in March last year.

Once operationalised, the 500 MWe Fast Breeder Reactor will be only the second of its kind in the world. Russia operates the other fast breeder reactor of 800 MWe. A few other countries had tried mastering the complex technology, but had given up.

"We encountered multiple problems, there were a few surprises as we are operationalising a sodium-cooled reactor at this scale for the first time," the official said.

The commissioning of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) will mark the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme that aims to recycle spent fuel to reduce the inventory of radioactive waste.

"Now, we expect first criticality to be achieved within six months of fuel loading. Then, we will gradually raise the power to full capacity," the official said.

The PFBR being developed in Kalpakkam is the first-of-its-kind nuclear reactor to use plutonium-based mixed oxide as fuel and liquid sodium as coolant. It will also utilise the spent fuel of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, which form the mainstay of nuclear power in India at present.

While the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) operates nuclear power plants in the country, the PFBR in Kalpakkam is being developed by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (BHAVINI).

Last July, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted permission for loading of fuel, first approach to criticality and conducting low-power physics experiments for the PFBR.

PFBRs are critical for India's nuclear programme as the spent fuel from these reactors will be used to power the thorium-based reactors that form the third stage of the closed fuel cycle.

The government has announced a nuclear energy mission that aims to produce 100 GW electricity through nuclear power.

At present, India's installed nuclear power capacity stands at 8.18 GW. An additional 7.30 GW nuclear energy projects are under construction or commissioning and 7.00 GW have been sanctioned and are currently undergoing pre-project activities.

Upon completion of these projects, India's nuclear power capacity is expected to reach 22.48 GW by 2031-32.

Beyond this, NPCIL plans to add another 15.40 GW through indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and 17.60 GW through Light Water Reactors with foreign cooperation, bringing the total installed capacity to 55 GW.