NPCIL invites proposals to set up small nuclear reactors for captive use

India's nuclear power operator NPCIL on Tuesday invited proposals from the industry to set up 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors for captive use, replacing the existing coal-fired thermal power plants used by the steel, aluminium, copper and cement industries.

Bharat Small Reactors are 220 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) with an impeccable safety and excellent performance record, which are compact and tailored for captive use, according to a statement from the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL).

"NPCIL has today invited Request for Proposals (RFP) from visionary Indian industries for setting up 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) for captive use," said the statement.

The nuclear power operator said BSRs can provide a sustainable solution for decarbonization of hard-to-abate industries.

It would also help these industries secure economic benefits resulting from savings in carbon emission related taxes, thus increasing competitiveness of their products in the global markets, the statement said.

The government plans to deploy 40-50 of these nuclear reactors over the next decade in partnership with the private sector. This is part of the 220-megawatt BSR that Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman had unveiled in her budget speech in July.

"In line with the announcement in the 2024-25 Union budget, BSRs are planned to be set up with private capital, within the existing legal framework and approved business models," the NPCIL said.

Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) refer to a newly developed and upcoming class of land-based nuclear fission reactors, which can be built and fabricated in specialised factories and can be assembled on site.