The first two lead units of a fifty-five megawatts variant of the Bharat small modular reactor (SMR) will be constructed at a Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) site by 2033, Minister of State Jitendra Singh has told parliamentarians.
Singh provided an update on the status of the DAE Bharat SMR offering in a written answer to the Lok Sabha, the lower house of the Indian parliament, providing information on the two hundred megawatts version – the BSMR-200 – and a fifty-five megawatts version.
The BSMR-200 pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) will use low enriched uranium fuel, Singh said. He added that the “majority of equipment are within the capability of Indian industries”. India has constructed two hundred megawatt PHWRs since the 1980s, and is now constructing a fleet of indigenously designed seven hundred megawatt PHWRs.
Singh said that the BSMR-700 reactor is being designed and developed by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to provide “captive” power generation for energy intensive industries such as steel, aluminum and cement; for repurposing retiring thermal power plants; and to provide electricity to remote locations without grid connectivity.
Singh added, “The lead unit will be located at a DAE site. The subsequent units are to be located at the sites of the end-user industry in case of captive power plants and at brownfields sites of retiring thermal power plants. Manufacturing and delivery of equipment and components will be carried out through various indigenous nuclear vendors developed by DAE. Development of critical items such as low alloy steel forgings required for manufacturing the reactor pressure vessel and reactivity control drive mechanisms have been realized by the domestic private vendors. Development works for other critical items such as reactor coolant pumps have been initiated with the private vendors. All major development works will be completed in the pre-project phase. The concept design of BSMR has been completed and is in approval stage. Estimated time for construction of BSMR is 60 to 72 months after receipt of project sanction.”
Singh continued, “The BSMR will contain passive safety features as well as “several engineered safety systems to ensure nuclear safety during accidents.” Spent nuclear fuel will be handled and stored in-situ, in line with India’s broad philosophy to recover “useful radioisotopes” by reprocessing. Remaining waste will be vitrified and stored in engineered facilities in line with internationally accepted practices. Singh said. “However, in the case of SMRs the reprocessing technology is to be re-engineered based on the fuel configuration.”
The 2025 budget includes an allocation of around two and a half billion dollars for the design and deployment of SMRs, Singh noted.
A fifty-five megawatts reactor is also being developed for deployment in remote locations, with the lead twin units to be “set up in a DAE site by 2033”.
Singh mentioned that “Depending on the projected demand, BSMR-200 also can be deployed for such purposes. Both these plants are designed to operate in isolated mode not connected to the grid.”
Nirmala Sitharaman is India’s Minister of Finance. He announced in the 2024 budget the government’s intention to research and develop the Bharat Small Modular Reactor. In this year’s budget which was announced in February, she promised federal funds to develop at least five Indian-designed SMRs to be operational by 2033. There will be amendments to Indian legislation to encourage private sector participation, as part of plans to develop at least one hundred gigawatts of nuclear energy by 2047.
Earlier this year, NPCIL issued a Request for Proposals from ‘visionary Indian industries’ to finance and build a proposed fleet of two hundred and twenty-two megawatts Bharat Small Reactors. Tata Power and the Naveen Jindal Group have previously expressed interest in setting up small modular reactors. In February, Minister for Railways Ashwini Vaishnaw told the Rajya Sabha, the upper house of the Indian parliament, that nuclear power is under consideration to meet the increasing power needs of the country’s rail sector.