Barc developing 220 Mw Bharat Small Modular Reactors at ₹5,960 crore

Barc is developing 220 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactors and two SMR-55 units under the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025-26

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (Barc) is developing 220 Megawatt (Mw) Bharat Small Modular Reactors, also called BSMR-200, at a cost of ₹5,960 crore apart from two units of 55 Mw capacity Small Modular Reactor or SMR-55 at a cost of ₹7,000 crore. 

Barc has undertaken design and development works on these SMRs under the Nuclear Energy Mission announced in the Union Budget 2025–26 which has a total budgetary provision of ₹20,000 crore for SMRs. 

In a written reply in Parliament, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, and Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Jitendra Singh shared the progress of the SMRs. 

He said the in-principle approval from the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) has been received for the BSMR-200 project and the proposal for administrative and financial sanction is cleared by AEC for submission of the proposal to the Cabinet Committee. 

He said in-principle approval has been received for the SMR-55 project and the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor (HTGCR) project too. Barc is currently engaged in the design and construction of HTGCR with a cost outlay of ₹320 crore. 

“Lead units of these SMRs will be constructed by DAE at its existing sites. So far, PSUs like Engineers India Limited and Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited (BHEL) have been contacted for detailed engineering of SMRs,” Singh said. 

He added that the Tarapur Atomic Power Station site in Maharashtra has been identified for lead units of BSMR-200 and SMR-55 whereas Vizag, Andhra Pradesh site of Barc is identified for the High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor. 

The BSMR project is being jointly designed and developed by Barc and Nuclear power Corporation of India (NPCIL) and the estimated time for construction of BSMR is 60 to 72 months from the date of receipt of administrative and financial approval, Singh said.