Union minister Dr Jitendra Singh today said that the Indian government is taking steps for the development of Small Modular Reactors (SMR) to produce clean energy. The Small Modular Reactors will have up to 300 MW capacity, and they are being built to fulfil India’s commitment to the Clean Energy transition.
Dr Jitendra Singh is the Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of Science & Technology, MoS (Independent) of Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space.
The union minister revealed his address to a Workshop on Small Modular Reactors (SMR) organized by NITI Aayog and the Department of Atomic Energy. He said that the participation of the private sector and Startups needs to be explored in the development of this critical technology within India.
Jitendra Singh said that the exploration of new clean energy options is in tune with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadmap for clean energy transition through bold climate commitments which are reflected in the updated Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs). He added that the Indian government has already taken steps for clean energy transition with penetration of non-fossil-based energy resources and achieving net zero by 2070.
The minister said in terms of base load power, nuclear energy can play a big role in the de-carbonization strategy. It is in this context that the role of nuclear energy will be critical for clean energy transition of not just India but for the entire world, Dr Singh added.
Small Modular Reactors (SMR), with up to 300 MW capacity, are flexible in design and require a smaller footprint. Being mobile and agile technology, SMR can be factory-built, unlike the conventional nuclear reactors that are built on-site. Thus, SMRs offer significant savings in cost and construction time. SMR is a promising technology in industrial de-carbonization, especially where there is a requirement of reliable and continuous supply of power. It is said that SMR is simpler and safer as compared to large nuclear plants.
According to the International Atomic Energy Agency, SMR designs are generally simpler compared to traditional reactors. They are also safer, due to inherent safety characteristics of the reactor, such as low power and operating pressure. Due to this, they use passive safety systems and do not require human intervention or external power to shut them down in case of emergencies.
“These increased safety margins, in some cases, eliminate or significantly lower the potential for unsafe releases of radioactivity to the environment and the public in case of an accident,” says IAEA.
SMRs also operate longer without the need for refuelling. While traditional nuclear plants require to be refuelled in 1 to 2 years, SMRs need refuelling every 3 to 7 years. SMRs are used for various purposes, like producing electricity, heating, water desalinisation and steam for industrial applications.
SMR is a very new technology developed in recent years. Akademik Lomonosov in Russia was the first Small Modular Reactor to be commissioned, which started commercial operation in 2020. The modular reactor is actually a floating plant, as it is placed on a barge docked in the Pevek harbour. After that, many such SMRs are under construction in various countries.
Dr Jitendra Singh also said that due to continuous efforts of the government towards renewable energy, India today stands at number four in terms of installed capacity of renewable energy across the world, after China, Europe and the United States. He added that these measures also conform to the Prime Minister’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat goal, where India contributes significant value to global value chain. It must be noted that India, comprising 17% of the world population, has seen its primary energy growing at a rate of 4% during the last decade, almost double the global growth rate of 1.3%. However, by historical standards, India’s share in global emissions is less than 5%.
