Following World War II, Atomic energy found a much different, noble purpose around the world. In India, the man who opened the nuclear chapter was Homi Bhabha, with the establishment of the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) in 1945. He began advancing nuclear physics to support the country's nuclear power generation following India's independence from the British regime. Another individual who joined this mission was the country’s first Prime Minister, Jawaharlal Nehru. He believed that expanding access to electricity was the key to economic growth. Eight decades later, India’s nuclear energy ambitions have surfaced once again as a result of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visits to France and the US.
Both France and India have announced plans to collaborate on developing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs). Modi and French President Benjamin Macron seem to hold nuclear energy at great value to bolster energy security and the transition towards a low-carbon economy. The development came days after Delhi announced plans to impose a stringent nuclear liability law, which is the major cause of delays in earlier nuclear projects.
Paris and Delhi Plans to Grow SMRs
Paris and Delhi are hoping to build innovative and small modular reactors for civil usage. Smaller than regular nuclear reactors, these reactors can be transported to places for installation and assembly, and do not require vast amounts of land or advanced equipment. The latest meetup of both leaders revolves around the central goal of starting cooperation to promote modular reactor technology from its initial stages. Reports state that both nations plan to construct the largest nuclear power station in the world in Maharashtra.
Is There A Shift in India’s Nuclear Energy Policy?
The Indian government now seems to be easing up from its stringent nuclear power regulations to allow more private sector involvement and international collaboration.
Likewise, the Finance Minister, Nirmala Sitharaman, announced aggressive nuclear energy ambitions this year, aiming to produce 100GW of nuclear energy by 2047. Most of the more than $2 billion (£1.6 billion) the government has committed to nuclear research and development is said to be allotted for building five domestic reactors by 2033.
Can the Cooperation Aid India’s Net Zero Goals?
By 2047, India aspires to have 100 gigawatts of nuclear power installed, sufficient enough to power 60 million homes every year. This may gradually bring down its dependency on fossil fuels, particularly coal, which still provides more than 75 percent of its electricity. Aligned with those targets, the country is implementing legislation changes to encourage investment in the nuclear industry and has committed more than $2 billion for nuclear research to support these objectives. Considering the erratic nature of renewable energy sources like solar and wind, energy experts hail nuclear power vital to help move on from carbon-emitting fuels like coal, oil, and gas.
The objectives are undoubtedly lofty, but there is a lot of speculation around towering challenges that the sector must first render its focus on.
Long Existing Concerns
Some industry experts are skeptical of India's nuclear ambitions due to its lightweight industry and the public's ongoing unfavorable opinions of it. Although the country doubled its installed nuclear energy capacity in the past ten years, it only contributes to three percent of the total electricity generation. Experts suggest that the country must address public concerns and forge trust in local communities if it wants to reach its targets.
Secondly, there are concerns around India’s nuclear liability law which continue to hold up the more than a decade-old plan to build six nuclear power reactors in Maharashtra’s Jaitapur, the world’s biggest nuclear power generation site under consideration at present.
Third, under the "Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act," the state-owned power company NPCIL is alleged to contain all the benefits, such as ownership and control of the power plant. The private sector, on the other hand, bears all the financial risks of building a nuclear power plant. Some industry experts even voiced that the CLND Act could be the private sector's worst enemy since it holds firms and their suppliers accountable for any nuclear mishap that occurs in India.
For instance, there were plans to construct six reactor units that would produce 9.6 gigawatts of carbon-free energy, submitted in 2021 by the French state-owned nuclear company EDF, which runs more than 60 nuclear power plants in France and the UK. However, earlier this year, it was claimed that the CLND's presence had stopped it from moving forward.
Fourth, finding appropriate land has been a major barrier against the development of these machines. Currently in the planning stages, new facilities are being deployed in a cluster of six giga-sized reactors as locating land and obtaining several stakeholder clearances is one of the most time-consuming tasks.
Nuclear Partnership Can Strengthen India and France’s Ties
There is immense interest lingering around possible future ties, particularly related to SMRs and Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs), which calls for taking a deeper look at the current status of India's nuclear program, the development of ongoing large-reactor projects, and the larger framework of energy security objectives.
Desirable Outcomes
This cooperation could encourage booming and bustling nuclear business that could open avenues to invite global cooperation.
SMRs often generate less than 300 megawatts of power and can be a solution to a number of problems facing the nuclear industry. Also, given that SMRs can be installed on-site after being manufactured in modules elsewhere, industry experts say that it can cut down on construction time and expense, which have a tendency to exceed initial projections.
The building process can be much more efficient thanks to the efforts of private enterprises that are currently involved in nuclear power projects, but only in the non-core components of a reactor.
Experts believe that collaborating with international organizations, like France's EDF, for technological expertise could provide another solution to cut down timeframes and improve India's chances of accomplishing its ambitions.
France and the US are the top operators of nuclear energy reactor fleets, while Russia provides the basic technology for the great majority of India's nuclear units.
India has big plans for nuclear energy as it could help its carbon-emission goals of combating climate change and its need for energy security. The long-term goal is emphasized by the 100 GW by 2047 aim. Although there are many long-standing obstacles, the current development shines a new ray of hope.