Will new Act aid India’s nuclear development?, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act has been enacted, repealing the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act, 2010.
• SHANTI aims to encourage private sector participation and foreign investment in India's nuclear sector, which was previously limited to public sector enterprises.
• India plans to increase nuclear capacity from 8.8 GW to 100 GW by 2047, raising nuclear power's contribution to electricity generation from 3% to a significant amount.
• SHANTI modifies the compensation structure for nuclear accidents, introducing a graded penalty system based on plant capacity, ranging from ₹100 crore to ₹3,000 crore.

Detailed Insights:

• The SHANTI Act eliminates a clause that previously allowed nuclear plant operators to claim recourse from equipment suppliers in case of accidents, addressing concerns of American and French reactor manufacturers.
• The graded penalty approach in SHANTI is intended to attract private sector investment by reducing the financial burden on operators, though concerns remain about whether the caps adequately cover potential reparations costs.
• India's nuclear program, envisioned by Homi Bhabha, aims to achieve energy security by utilizing thorium, but the country is still in the first stage of this plan, with delays in the commissioning of the Fast Breeder Reactor now expected in September 2026.
• India is exploring the use of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) to boost nuclear power generation; however, these reactors rely on enriched uranium-235 and do not directly contribute to India's thorium utilization goals.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Nuclear Energy: Energy released from the nucleus of an atom, used for electricity generation.
• Thorium: A naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal that could be used as a nuclear fuel.
• Fast Breeder Reactor: A nuclear reactor that breeds more fissile material than it consumes during operation.