India should use small modular reactors to meet energy demands: NITI Aayog member V. K. Saraswat

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit.

NITI Aayog member and scientist V. K. Saraswat on Sunday suggested that the government should focus on setting up small modular reactors as it would help meet India’s energy needs and also in replacing aging thermal power plants.

Saraswat also said nuclear power plant projects which have been set up under the fleet mode production, should be accelerated, so that India is able to meet base load requirements at the earliest.

“We are suggesting that in future we should go for small modular reactors which will be able to meet this (energy) requirements in a distributed manner.”

“And we are also thinking that it will be the best approach for replacing the aging thermal power plants,” he told PTI in an interview.

Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW(e) per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.

Under the fleet mode, a nuclear power plant is expected to be built over a period of five years from the first pour of concrete.

According to Saraswat, the advantage of an advanced modular reactor is that it is factory fabricated and can be operated by any agency and there could also be a larger participation of the private sector in that.