Nuclear focus promising but risky; strong regulatory measures key

While accelerating nuclear adoption and private sector involvement, the government must ensure strong regulatory measures to maintain safety

That the government has warmed up to nuclear energy can be deduced from the fact that it found mention in successive Union Budgets. The final Budget for FY2024-25 had talked of small modular reactors (SMRs) — essentially small nuclear power plants with a capacity of less than 300 Mw (e) — and the need to partner with the private sector in research and development. The current Budget proposals build on that by talking of a 100 Gw (e) target by 2047 and at least five SMRs being ready and operational by 2033. These are bold steps, given that while SMRs