Small Modular Nuclear Reactors: Can they help India achieve net-zero?

What’s in today’s article?

• Why in News?
• Challenges of Decarbonisation
• Issues with Nuclear Power and Alternative
• What are the Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?
• Challenges for India
• Way Ahead for India
• Conclusion

 

Why in News?

• The world’s quest to decarbonise is guided by the UN SDG 7: “to ensure access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy for all”.
• Small modular reactors - a type of nuclear reactor - can be helpful to India in this regard.

 

Challenges of Decarbonisation:

• The world still depends on fossil fuels for 82% of its energy supply.
• The share of electricity in final energy consumption will also increase by 80-150% by 2050.
• The recent uptick in coal consumption in Europe, despite the increase in solar and wind power.
  • This suggests that reliable electricity resources are critical to ensure the deep decarbonisation of power generation.
• The demand for critical minerals like lithium, nickel, cobalt, and rare earth elements, required for clean-energy production technologies, is likely to increase by up to 3.5x by 2030.
• The environmental and social impacts of developing several new mines and plants (of critical minerals).
• The top three mineral-producing and processing nations control 50-100% of the current global extraction and processing capacities, posing geopolitical and other risks.

 

Issues with Nuclear Power and Alternative:

• Nuclear power plants (NPPs) generate 10% of the world’s electricity and help avoid 1.5 billion tonnes of CO2 emissions every year.
• NPPs’ grid integration costs are lower than those associated with variable renewable energy (VRE) sources because NPPs generate power 24x7 in all kinds of weather.
• Nuclear power also provides valuable co-benefits like high-skill jobs in technology, manufacturing, and operations.
• However, conventional NPPs have generally suffered from time and cost overruns and risks of nuclear accidents (Fukushima, Japan).
• As an alternative, several countries are developing small modular reactors (SMRs).

 

What are the Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?

• About:
  • They are advanced nuclear reactors that have a power capacity of up to 300 MW per unit, which is about one-third of the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power reactors.
  • SMRs are:
    • Small: They are physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor.
    • Modular: Being mobile and agile technology, it makes it possible for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.
    • Reactors: Which harnesses nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.
• Advantages:
  • SMRs are designed to operate for 40-60 years with capacity factors exceeding 90%.
  • They can produce a large amount of low-carbon electricity. They could be paired with and increase the efficiency of renewable sources in a hybrid energy system.
  • They can be manufactured off-site - significantly saving construction time.
  • They can contribute to reduced build and running costs (designed to require lesser fuel and fewer staff for location assembly, maintenance and operation) and increased efficiency.
  • SMRs can generate less electricity when demand is down and are particularly useful for power generation in remote locations.
  • SMRs can be installed in decommissioned thermal power plant sites by repurposing existing infrastructure.
• Safety features of SMRs:
  • SMRs are designed with a smaller core damage frequency (the likelihood that an accident will damage the nuclear fuel) and source term (a measure of radioactive contamination) compared to conventional NPPs.
  • They also include enhanced seismic isolation for more safety.
  • SMR designs are also simpler and include several passive safety features, resulting in a lower potential for the uncontrolled release of radioactive materials into the environment.
• Disadvantages:
  • Lack of development: They do not currently exist as reactors for power generation.
  • Cost-effectiveness depends on production: Large-scale production of SMRs is required to achieve its economic benefits.
  • Licensing issues: Historically, the licensing process was developed for large commercial reactors and the licensing process for new reactor designs is a lengthy and costly process.

 

Challenges for India:

• India’s Central Electricity Authority (CEA) projects that the generation capacity of coal-based thermal power plants (TPPs) in India must be increased to 259,000 MW by 2032 from the current 212,000 MW.
• The CEA also projects that TPPs will provide more than half of the electricity generated in India by 2031-2032 while VRE sources and NPPs will contribute 35% and 4.4%, respectively.
• Since India has committed to become net-zero by 2070, the country’s nuclear power output needs a quantum jump.

 

Way Ahead for India:

• The costs for manufacturing SMRs will decline when reputed companies with experience in manufacturing NPPs (BHEL, L&T or Godrej Industries) manufacture SMRs, with technology transfer from abroad.
• This will allow zero-carbon nuclear power to expand by attracting “green” finance from the Green Climate Fund and international investors.
• Attracting investments from the private sector (in PPP mode) is important to decarbonise India’s energy sector.
  • For example, the Atomic Energy Act will need to be amended to allow the private sector to set up SMRs.
• Efficient regulatory regime for SMRs comparable to that in the civil aviation sector - which has more stringent safety requirements - is important.
  • This requires the cooperation between the respective regulators with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to harmonise their regulatory requirements.

 

Conclusion:

• The transition from coal-fired power generation to clean energy sources poses major challenges for all countries, as there is a widespread consensus that solar and wind energy alone will not suffice to provide reliable and affordable energy for everyone.
• This was the reason SMRs were included in the US-India joint statement after the Indian PM met U.S. President in June 2023.

 

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Q1) What is the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)?

The IAEA is an intergovernmental organization that seeks to promote the peaceful use of nuclear energy and to inhibit its use for any military purpose, including nuclear weapons. It was set up as the world's "Atoms for Peace" organisation in 1957 within the UN family.

 

Q2) What is the Green Climate Fund (GCF)?

The Green Climate Fund is a fund established within the framework of the UNFCCC as an operating entity of the Financial Mechanism to assist developing countries in adaptation and mitigation practices to counter climate change. The GCF is based in Incheon, South Korea.

 

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Source: Can small modular nuclear reactors help India achieve net-zero?