Nuclear power expansion is an R&D challenge, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• Draft National Electricity Policy aims to align the power sector with India’s long-term energy goals and climate commitments.
• The policy targets a 45% reduction in emissions intensity of GDP by 2030, compared to 2005 levels.
• It emphasizes renewable energy and a 10-fold upscaling of nuclear capacity by 2047 for decarbonization.
• The SHANTI Act, passed last month, enables the expansion of nuclear capacity and adoption of advanced technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMR).

Detailed Insights:

• The policy recognizes the need for a viable substitute for fossil fuels, hence the focus on nuclear energy expansion.
• Nuclear fission produces negligible carbon emissions and is not affected by weather, unlike renewables.
• SMRs offer advantages like less space, easy assembly, robust safety features, and on-site installation near demand centers.
• India's limited domestic uranium resources necessitate strategies to tap into the country’s large thorium deposits.
• Upscaling R&D to extract and exploit thorium is crucial for achieving the ambitious nuclear power goals.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Decarbonization: Reducing carbon emissions from energy sources and other sectors.
• Small Modular Reactors (SMR): Nuclear fission reactors that are smaller than conventional reactors.
• Thorium: A naturally occurring, slightly radioactive metal that could be an alternative nuclear fuel.