NEW DELHI: A key objective of the govt under the Nuclear Energy Mission is to develop and operationalise at least five indigenous small modular reactors by 2033, minister for department of atomic energy Jitendra Singh said in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday.Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is undertaking the design and development of indigenous SMR technologies, including the 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) and 55 MWe SMR-55 for power generation. BARC is also developing a high temperature gas cooled reactor (HTGCR) of up to 5 MW capacity, which can be coupled with a suitable thermochemical cycle for hydrogen production.Singh said India is steadily strengthening its indigenous nuclear energy ecosystem with a focus on advanced reactor technologies, SMRs, domestic manufacturing capabilities, private-sector participation and long-term utilisation of the country’s abundant thorium resources. The govt has adopted a two-pronged approach to accelerate nuclear capacity addition. This includes deployment of large indigenous reactors such as 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and advanced reactor designs at greenfield sites, alongside development and deployment of SMRs at brownfield locations, including retiring fossil-fuel-based power plants, captive plants for energy-intensive industries and off-grid applications in remote areas.The minister also highlighted continuing work of the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in advancing the second stage of India’s nuclear power programme. IGCAR is pursuing multidisciplinary scientific research and advanced engineering development for sodium cooled fast breeder reactors and associated closed fuel-cycle facilities, technologies that remain a cornerstone of India’s long-term nuclear strategy.
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On thorium, Singh said India is pursuing its three-stage nuclear power programme, based on a closed fuel cycle, to optimise utilisation of its uranium resources and progressively harness its abundant thorium reserves. Thorium, being a fertile material, needs to be converted into fissile uranium-233 in a nuclear reactor before it can be used for energy generation.India has already undertaken sustained R&D towards thorium utilisation. Thorium Oxide (Thoria) pellets have been used in the initial cores of operating PHWRs, while Thoria-based fuels have also been irradiated in BARC research reactors. The irradiated Thoria pins have been reprocessed to obtain uranium-233, which has subsequently been fabricated as fuel for the KAMINI reactor at IGCAR, Kalpakkam. Singh said the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025 has been enacted to enable wider participation of both public and private entities in the nuclear sector.
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