Redeeming India’s Nuclear Power Promise
Theme: Need for reforms, international collaboration, and private participation to meet India’s ambitious nuclear power targets.
1. Budget Push & Strategic Target
- Union Budget 2023–24 introduced a strategic target:
India aims to achieve 600 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047. - This is a 15-fold increase from current capacity (~7.5 GW).
- The aim aligns with:
- Clean energy transition
- Decarbonisation
- Energy security
- Clean energy transition
2. India’s Nuclear Energy Landscape
- India is Asia’s third-largest producer of nuclear energy (after China and South Korea).
- Current capacity (as of 2024): ~7.5 GW from 22 operational reactors.
- Additional 8 reactors under construction, including large projects at Kudankulam, Jaitapur, and Gorakhpur.
3. Challenges Faced
- Land acquisition, liability concerns, and nuclear fuel supply limitations.
- Delayed clearances, regulatory bottlenecks, and safety fears.
- Restrictive laws: India’s nuclear programme is fully state-controlled — private and foreign players are barred from participation.
- Nuclear Liability Law (2010) still causes hesitation among foreign partners.
4. Geopolitics & Global Partnerships
- India signed civil nuclear agreements post-2008 NSG waiver (e.g., with US, Russia, France).
- However, actual projects under these deals have been slow.
- Example: US-Japan backed GE-Hitachi and Westinghouse projects yet to materialize.
- India seeks support from France (EDF), Russia (Rosatom), and US (Westinghouse) to expand its nuclear footprint.
- Urgent Need for Reforms
- To meet the 2047 target:
- Liberalisation of the nuclear sector is essential.
- Allow private sector investment in fuel supply, plant design, and construction.
- Revamp the Atomic Energy Act to permit:
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
- Transparent bidding and contracts
- Improved risk-sharing frameworks
- Public-Private Partnerships (PPPs)
- Liberalisation of the nuclear sector is essential.
6. Strategic Advantages of Nuclear Power
- Base-load power (unlike solar/wind which are intermittent).
- Low carbon emissions — crucial for net-zero commitments.
- Helps reduce India’s dependence on coal imports.
- Energy security & long-term sustainability.
7. Economic Potential & Job Creation
- Nuclear projects generate:
- High-skilled jobs in engineering, design, safety, R&D.
- Local industrial ecosystems (reactor manufacturing, fuel processing, etc.)
- High-skilled jobs in engineering, design, safety, R&D.
- Potential for India to emerge as a regional reactor supplier.
8. Environmental & Climate Linkages
- To achieve the Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) and Net Zero by 2070, nuclear must play a bigger role.
- A clean baseload source is necessary to back up renewables.
- India’s energy mix still dominated by coal (~70%) — nuclear can diversify this.
9. Way Forward
- Create a comprehensive policy roadmap:
- Revisit and amend Atomic Energy Act.
- Incentivize foreign tech transfer and private sector R&D.
- Improve public awareness and safety standards.
- Revisit and amend Atomic Energy Act.
- Tap into SMRs (Small Modular Reactors) for faster deployment and flexibility.
Conclusion
If India wants to redeem its nuclear promise, it must:
Open the sector to foreign and private participation
Ensure legal and regulatory certainty
Integrate nuclear into its broader clean energy strategy