MUMBAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s announcement on Thursday that the government is moving toward opening the nuclear sector to private participation has drawn both interest and caution from experts.
Modi said the reform would accelerate the development of small modular reactors (SMRs), advanced reactor technologies and related innovation, adding that it would strengthen India’s energy security and technological leadership.
However, Atomic Energy Commission member Ravi B. Grover urged restraint. Speaking to TOI on Friday, he said, “SMRs are yet to be developed, and it is premature to bet on them. We are at the peak of expectations regarding SMRs. It is better to focus on 220MW pressurised heavy water reactors, whose technology is proven, rather than on reactors with untested viability and economics.”
Similar reservations were voiced by Anil Kumar Anand, former head of BARC’s reactor research group and the nuclear submarine project. “Opening up the nuclear field to private industry demands huge resources and investment. Designing and developing SMRs will be a major challenge for private companies,” he said.
Anand also noted that the government’s target of achieving 100GW of nuclear capacity by 2047 would require raising nuclear energy’s share in the power mix from 2% to 9% over the next two decades.
A former senior nuclear-sector official, who requested anonymity, added that if privatisation moves forward, it may necessitate a restructuring of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which currently oversees reactor safety. He also emphasised that private nuclear plants would need to operate within the framework of the Indo-US nuclear deal, the Nuclear Suppliers’ Group waiver, and India-specific safeguard agreements.
