Parliament Question: Nuclear Energy Mission & Bharat Small Modular Reactors

Key Highlights:

• A budgetary provision of ₹20,000 crore has been allocated for the design, development, and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) under the Nuclear Energy Mission.
• India aims to develop and operationalize at least five indigenous SMRs by 2033.
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is designing three types: BSMR-200 (220 MWe), SMR-55 (55 MWe), and a High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) (5 MWth).
• Tarapur, Maharashtra, has been approved as the site for BSMR-200 and SMR-55, while BARC, Vizag, is proposed for HTGCR.
• The SHANTI 2025 Act proposes legislative reforms to achieve 100 GW nuclear power by 2047 for Vikshit Bharat.

Detailed Insights:

• The Nuclear Energy Mission aims to enhance India's nuclear power capacity through advanced reactor technologies.
• BSMR-200 and SMR-55 are based on indigenous Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR) designs.
• The HTGCR is designed as a nuclear heat source for hydrogen production using thermochemical cycles.
• Development of these SMRs is estimated to take 60-72 months after administrative and financial sanction.
• India is leveraging its expertise in Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) and indigenous industrial capabilities for SMR development.
• Critical components and special materials like Advanced Purified Reactor Vessel Alloy (ApuRVA) are being developed domestically.
• The SHANTI 2025 Act seeks to broaden participation of both government and private entities in the nuclear energy sector.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): Advanced nuclear reactors with power output typically below 300 MWe, designed for factory fabrication and modular construction.
• Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR): A type of light-water nuclear reactor where the primary coolant (water) is kept under high pressure to prevent boiling.
• High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR): A nuclear reactor that uses graphite as a neutron moderator and a gas (like helium) as a coolant, operating at very high temperatures.
• Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR): A nuclear power reactor that uses heavy water (deuterium oxide) as its coolant and neutron moderator.