BHARAT SMALL MODULAR REACTORS (BSMR)

Why in News?

Under the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025–26, the Government has allocated ₹20,000 crore for the design, development and deployment of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). The initiative aims to develop and operationalise at least five indigenous SMRs by 2033. SMRs are smaller nuclear reactors designed to generate less power than conventional large-scale nuclear reactors. 

BARC Developing Three SMR Technologies

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), a constituent unit of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is undertaking the design and development of demonstration units of three nuclear reactor technologies:

1. 220 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200)
2. 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55)
3. High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) of up to 5 MWth

These reactors have different applications ranging from electricity generation to industrial process heat and hydrogen production.

1. Bharat Small Modular Reactor – BSMR-200

• Capacity: 220 MWe
• Technology: Indigenous Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)
• Purpose: Electricity generation
• It is being developed as an indigenous SMR-based power reactor.

2. Small Modular Reactor – SMR-55

• Capacity: 55 MWe
• Technology: Pressurised Water Reactor (PWR)
• Purpose: Power generation
• It is designed to provide a smaller-scale nuclear power generation option.

3. High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor – HTGCR

• Thermal capacity: Up to 5 MWth
• Being developed as a nuclear heat source.
• It can provide process heat for industrial applications.
• The heat can be coupled with suitable thermochemical cycles, such as the Copper-Chlorine (Cu-Cl) cycle, for hydrogen production.

Timeline for Deployment

The proposed SMRs are expected to require approximately 60–72 months for establishment after receiving the necessary administrative and financial sanctions.

SHANTI 2025 Act

The recently enacted SHANTI 2025 Act (Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Act) proposes legislative reforms aimed at expanding participation in India’s nuclear energy sector.

The framework seeks to enable participation by government-owned as well as private entities for peaceful nuclear energy purposes.

India’s Long-Term Nuclear Energy Goal

The broader objective is to achieve 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047, supporting India’s Viksit Bharat vision.

Source: PIB

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