Officers in India stated that nation’s vitality transition plan will give attention to growing small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs), pumped vitality storage tasks, and extra environment friendly coal-fired energy crops.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, presenting the federal government’s 2024-2025 price range, famous the newest monetary allocations define a shift in priorities for Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Sitharaman on July 23 was presenting her coalition authorities’s first price range after the current election in India noticed her governing Bharatiya Janata Get together lose its outright majority in parliament.
Sitharaman stated the federal government will work with non-public corporations to develop SMRs—reactors producing 300 MW or much less of electrical energy—and different superior applied sciences in an effort to extend the share of nuclear energy within the nation’s vitality combine. The finance minister additionally stated the federal government will work towards decarbonizing so-called “onerous to abate” industries, and in addition give attention to lowering emissions and selling vitality effectivity efforts throughout the economic system.
Sitharaman stated a taxonomy for local weather finance might be developed, with a aim to reinforce the supply of capital for local weather adaptation and mitigation.
‘Vital’ Nuclear Vitality
“Nuclear vitality is predicted to kind a really vital a part of the vitality combine for Viksit Bharat,” stated Sitharaman, referring to this system meaning “Developed India.” The Viksit Bharat 2047 program represents the federal government’s imaginative and prescient to remodel the nation right into a developed entity by the one hundredth anniversary of its independence, which occurred in 1947. The 4 pillars of Viksit Bharat are Yuva (Youth), Garib (Poor), Mahilayen (Girls), and Annadata (Farmers).
Mentioned Sitharaman: “In the direction of that pursuit, our authorities will accomplice with the non-public sector for organising Bharat small reactors, analysis and growth of Bharat small modular reactors, and analysis and growth of newer applied sciences for nuclear vitality.”
SMRs are cellular reactors, in a position to be moved by truck and rail. Their modular design means the know-how is scalable, with items in a position to be mixed to provide extra electrical energy.
V. Anantha Nageswaran, India’s chief financial advisor, has stated mixed deployment of SMRs made in India, together with bigger (no less than 700 MW) pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at new utility-scale nuclear energy crops, might be a technique for growing the nation’s nuclear energy output.
Pumped Storage and Coal
Sitharaman additionally stated a coverage to advertise pumped vitality storage tasks might be launched. Pumped storage, using the motion of water in reservoirs to generate electrical energy, additionally would help integration of renewable vitality to India’s energy grids.
The finance minister stated the federal government additionally will again growth of home know-how for superior extremely tremendous crucial (AUSC) coal-fired energy crops. A three way partnership between the Nationwide Thermal Energy Company, often known as NTPC, and Bharat Heavy Electricals Restricted will construct an 800-MW thermal plant utilizing AUSC know-how. The Indian authorities has pledged monetary help for the venture.
India’s energy ministry earlier this yr stated about 19.6 GW of latest coal-fired era capability is predicted to be introduced on-line by year-end 2025. That determine consists of about 14 GW anticipated to be commissioned this yr. Coal-fired era in India final yr jumped by 14.7%. Officers stated that was the primary time progress in coal-fired electrical energy output outpaced progress in renewable vitality since 2019. Technology from renewables in India grew by 12.2% final yr.
—Darrell Proctor is senior affiliate editor for POWER (@POWERmagazine).
