Nuclear Energy Technology in India

Key Highlights:

• India aims to achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, driven by self-reliance and thorium utilization.
• Currently, India operates 24 nuclear power reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.78 GW.
• Nine reactor units (7.5 GW) are under construction, and 10 indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) have been approved in fleet mode.
• The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam achieved first criticality in April 2026, marking the beginning of the second stage of India's nuclear program.
• India is developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs), with a goal to operationalize at least five indigenous SMRs by 2033.

Detailed Insights:

• India's nuclear program is guided by an indigenously designed three-stage nuclear power programme to transition from uranium to thorium fuel cycles.
• Nuclear energy provides round-the-clock, low-carbon baseload electricity, complementing renewable energy and ensuring grid stability.
• The program supports Aatmanirbhar Bharat by developing robust indigenous capabilities across the entire nuclear fuel cycle.
• The first stage uses PHWRs with natural uranium, producing plutonium for the second stage.
• The second stage utilizes Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) with plutonium to generate electricity and breed additional fissile material, including uranium-233 from thorium.
• The third stage will employ thorium-based reactors using uranium-233 to harness India's abundant thorium reserves.
• Policy initiatives like the Nuclear Energy Mission (2025–26) and the SHANTI Act, 2025, are accelerating capacity expansion and promoting private sector participation.
• India follows a closed nuclear fuel cycle and possesses vitrification technology for safely managing high-level radioactive waste.

Scientific/Technical Concepts Involved:

• Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme: India's strategy to utilize thorium, progressing from natural uranium to plutonium to thorium-based fuel cycles.
• Baseload Electricity: Minimum, uninterrupted power required for grid operation, provided by stable sources like nuclear energy.
• Nuclear Fission: Process where an atom's nucleus splits, releasing heat and neutrons, used in nuclear power plants.
• Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR): A reactor that produces more fissile fuel than it consumes while generating electricity.
• Small Modular Reactor (SMR): Compact, factory-built nuclear reactors (up to 300 MWe) for flexible and phased power deployment.
• Vitrification Technology: Process converting high-level radioactive waste into stable glass for safe, long-term storage.