India plans to deploy 40-50 small modular nuclear reactors, primarily to replace captive thermal power plants, as part of its strategy to achieve net-zero emissions by 2070. A senior industry official mentioned that the 220-MWe Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) is being redesigned using 3D design platforms to achieve a high level of standardisation, making it easier to deploy, even in older thermal power plants used by the steel, aluminium, copper, and cement industries. The Department of Atomic Energy, in collaboration with Tata Consulting Engineers, is working on redesigning the PHWRs to develop the Bharat Small Modular Reactor.

Amit Sharma, Managing Director and CEO of Tata Consulting Engineers, explained that they are taking the old PHWR design and reconfiguring it to be modular, scalable, and aligned with post-Fukushima safety standards. Sharma also mentioned that the plan for small modular reactors (SMRs) is to build 40-50 units within seven to eight years, but this requires a high degree of standardisation, safety, and modularity.

In her Union budget speech last month, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman announced that the government would collaborate with the private sector to establish Bharat Small Reactors and contribute to the research and development of SMRs. She stated that the government would also work with the private sector to develop new technologies for nuclear energy.

Sharma noted that engineers would be redesigning the PHWR using 3D design platforms, which were unavailable 40 years ago when these reactors were originally designed. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited has already set up 16 220-MWe PHWRs, two 540-MWe PHWRs, and two 700-MWe PHWRs. Additionally, fourteen more PHWRs, each with a capacity of 700 MWe, are at various stages of implementation and are expected to be commissioned progressively by 2031-32.

Tata Consulting Engineers has long been associated with the Department of Atomic Energy, holding an 85% market share in engineering services within the nuclear sector and implementing several power projects. Sharma highlighted that the mention of SMRs by the finance minister in her budget speech underscored a strong commitment to energy transition. He added that nuclear energy is viewed as the only viable long-term solution for achieving net-zero emissions, a stance increasingly recognised globally.

SMRs, unlike conventional nuclear reactors that are built on-site, can be factory-built. They have a power capacity of up to 300 MWe per unit and, due to their mobile and agile nature, can be installed in locations unsuitable for larger plants. SMRs are expected to play a significant role in the energy transition phase, contributing meaningfully to efforts to combat climate change.