India is set to advance its nuclear energy capabilities with a plan to deploy 40-50 small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), primarily targeting the replacement of existing captive thermal power plants.
The initiative is a crucial component of the country's strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070.
Amit Sharma, CEO of Tata Consulting Engineers, revealed that the redesign of the 220-MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) is underway.
This redesign, using modern 3D design platforms, aims to standardise and streamline the deployment of these reactors.
The updated design is intended to facilitate integration into older thermal power facilities used by industries such as steel, aluminium, copper, and cement.
Sharma explained that the goal is to reconfigure and enhance the PHWRs to be modular, scalable, and aligned with the latest post-Fukushima safety standards.
“We are going to take the old design of the PHWR and then reconfigure and redesign it to be modular, scalable, and safety-aligned,” Sharma said.
The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) and Tata Consulting Engineers are working collaboratively on the Bharat Small Modular Reactor project.
Sharma highlighted that the development of these SMRs will adhere to high standards of safety and modularity, with an ambitious target of producing 40-50 reactors within seven to eight years.
This plan aligns with the recent Union Budget announcement by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who committed to partnering with the private sector for the establishment of Bharat Small Reactors and advancing research in SMR technology.
Sitharaman also highlighted government collaboration with private entities for the development of new nuclear energy technologies.
Sharma pointed out that engineers are utilising advanced 3D design tools—unavailable when the original reactors were conceived—to enhance the efficiency and adaptability of the PHWRs.
To date, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has commissioned 16 reactors of 220 MWe capacity, two of 540 MWe, and two of 700 MWe.
An additional fourteen 700-MWe PHWRs are under development and are expected to come online progressively by 2031-32.
Tata Consulting Engineers, which has a longstanding relationship with the DAE, holds an impressive 85% market share in nuclear engineering services and is involved in numerous power projects.
Sharma praised the Finance Minister’s mention of SMRs in her budget speech as a testament to India’s commitment to energy transition. He underscored that nuclear power represents the most viable long-term solution for achieving net-zero goals.
“To be honest, the only viable long-term solution for net zero is nuclear,” Sharma remarked.
SMRs, with a power capacity of up to 300 MWe per unit, offer the advantage of factory-built assembly, as opposed to conventional reactors which are constructed on-site.
Their mobility and adaptability make them suitable for locations where larger plants would be impractical.
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