News Delhi: India is developing three different types of small modular reactors (SMRs), which includes a dedicated to hydrogen production, which mostly stated plants for energy-intensive industries, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Thursday. In the written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Singh said that three types of SMRS for the production of hydrogen, 200 MWE Bharat Small Module Reactor (BSMR), 55 MWE SMR and 5 MW high temperature high temperature gas cooled reactor, indigenously designed. He said, “In-Principal approval has been obtained for the construction of these performance reactors. The construction reactors are likely to be held after the administrative approval of the projects in 60 to 72 months,” he said. The minister said that the major units of BSMR and SMR are planned to be set up in the department of Atomic Energy (DAE) sites in collaboration with Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Singh said, “An estimate prepared based on the experience of the installation of 220 MWE plants indicates that the overall cost for the 200 MWE Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200) will be around Rs 5,750 crore.” He said that a 5 MW high temperature gas cooled reactor (GCR) is also planned to be used exclusively for hydrogen production by coupling with a suitable thermochemical hydrogen production process. Singh said that potential thermo-chemical technologies for hydrogen production, such as copper-chloride (CU-CL) and iodine-sulfur (IS) cycle, have already been developed and displayed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC), said Singh said. The technology required for the deployment of these reactors is available in the country and most equipment are within the manufacturing capacity of the Indian industry, which are with technical handholding by DAE, he said. “These plants have been designed and developed considering the deployment of these plants as a captive power plant, which is with the major objective of decarbonation to support the transport sector to resume retiring fossil fuel-based plants and hydrogen production.” Currently, the nuclear power capacity installed in the country includes 25 reactor with a total capacity of 8,880 MW, including the RAPS-1 (100 MW), which is under the long-term shutdown. 700 MWE each two units of each – Karkrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) 3 and 4 and a 700 MWE unit has already started commercial operations in Rajasthan Nuclear Power Project (RApp -7). Currently, 18 reactors with a total capacity of 13,600 MW, including the 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor applied by the bhawini, are in various stages of implementation. Singh said that on the progressive perfection of these units, the established nuclear power capacity will reach 22,480 MW. PTI
