India to make five small nuclear power reactors operational by 2033

 

Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh has said that the government is aiming to bring at least five indigenous small modular nuclear reactors into operation by 2033. In a written reply in Lok Sabha, the minister said parliament has enacted the SHANTI Act, 2025, which opens the nuclear energy sector to private participation.

Dr Singh said Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is developing a 220-megawatt Bharat Small Modular Reactor, a 55-megawatt reactor and a high-temperature gas-cooled reactor designed to produce hydrogen.

The government has drawn up a roadmap for reaching the 100 gigawatts nuclear power capacity by 2047 as announced in the Nuclear Energy Mission.

The minister stated that as per the roadmap, the present nuclear power capacity of 8.78 gigawatts is expected to reach about 22 gigawatts by 2031-32 on progressive completion of projects presently at various stages of implementation.