New Delhi, Feb 4 (IANS) India is prioritising Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) for deployment in brownfield sites as captive power plants for rapid decarbonisation of energy-intensive sectors, repurposing of retiring fossil fuel-based power plants and deployment in remote locations with no grid connectivity for catering to energy requirements, the Parliament was informed on Wednesday.

The target of 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 can be achieved by deploying large reactors such as 700 MWe indigenous PHWRs and large capacity imported advanced reactor designs at greenfield sites. SMRs are considered to be fit for rapid decarbonisation of the energy sector at brownfield sites, the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Atomic Energy, Dr Jitendra Singh, told the Lok Sabha in a written reply.

SMR is a promising technology in industrial de-carbonisation especially where there is a requirement of reliable and continuous supply of power. SMRs can be engineered to have load-follow characteristics for increasing the flexibility of operation. They also involve lower construction time and hence lower capital cost. Their design can be standardised for serial production, the minister highlighted.

Under the Nuclear Energy Mission, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) has recently initiated design and development of SMRs, which include 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), the detailed project report for which has been approved and financial sanction is awaited. Various pre-project activities are under progress, he added.

The proposal for the 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55) has also been approved in principle, and design detailing is in progress. Design and development of major prototype equipment are in progress.

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has acquired expertise across the complete front and back end of the nuclear fuel cycle through its experience with indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). This expertise is being leveraged for pressurised water-based SMRs. Slightly Enriched Uranium (SEU) is considered a potential fuel for proposed SMRs. In case of domestic fuel, it is proposed to carry out reprocessing of spent fuel to recover valuable nuclear materials and reduce the overall nuclear waste burden, the minister further stated.

He also said that the broad philosophy of nuclear waste management remains the same to reduce the overall nuclear waste burden, i.e. recovery of useful radioisotopes, if any, volume reduction followed by vitrification of waste in a stable glass matrix and storage in engineered facilities kept under surveillance at par with internationally accepted practices. However, in the case of SMRs, the reprocessing technology is to be re-engineered based on the fuel configuration.

The DAE has the requisite scientific & technological know-how for its design and development, and the majority of equipment is within the manufacturing capability of Indian Industries with technological handholding by BARC, the minister added.

–IANS

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