India Targets 100 GW Nuclear Power by 2047

Key facts

• India has set a target of 100 GWe nuclear power capacity by 2047, including commissioning five new nuclear reactors in the current decade.
• India currently has 25 operational nuclear reactors totalling 8.7 GWe capacity, 10 reactors under construction with about 8 GWe capacity, and 10 units in the pre-project stage with about 6.6 GWe capacity.
• India is pursuing a two-pronged approach of deploying large-capacity reactors and small modular reactors (SMRs).
• Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is developing three SMR types: the 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), a 55 MWe SMR, and a 5 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for hydrogen production.
• India has set a target of having at least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033.
• The Nuclear Energy Mission for SMR research and development has a total budgetary outlay of Rs 20,000 crore.
• India’s first indigenous fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam attained criticality in April.
• India’s three-stage nuclear programme starts with pressurised heavy water reactors using natural uranium, moves to fast breeder reactors, and later uses thorium to obtain uranium-233.