Bill to allow private sector to make, run nuclear plants, Pg1

Key Highlights:

• The SHANTI Bill, 2025 was introduced in the Lok Sabha to incentivize private sector participation in nuclear power production.
• The bill replaces the Atomic Energy Act, 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010.
• It aims to scale up installed nuclear power capacity to 100 GW by 2047 from the current 8.8 GW.
• The bill proposes limiting the maximum penalty on operators to ₹1 crore even in the case of a “severe breach”.
• The Bill confers statutory status on the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

Detailed Insights:

• The SHANTI Bill seeks to remove the Nuclear Power Corporation of India’s monopoly over operating nuclear plants.
• The bill restricts the instances under which nuclear power plant operators can claim compensation from suppliers of equipment in case of an accident.
• The government aims to boost clean energy production, improve grid stability, and move towards its 2070 net-zero targets by privatizing the nuclear power sector.
• The bill aligns with global liability conventions and proposes the expansion of nuclear energy projects through private sector participation.
• A ₹20,000 crore mission was launched in the Union Budget this year to develop ‘small modular reactors’.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Net-Zero: Achieving a balance between the amount of greenhouse gas produced and the amount removed from the atmosphere.
• Small Modular Reactors (SMRs): Nuclear reactors that are smaller than conventional reactors and can be manufactured in a factory and transported to a site for installation.
• Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB): The regulatory body in India responsible for nuclear and radiation safety.