Nuclear Power

India achieves nuclear milestone as 500 MW PFBR attains criticality

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor milestone strengthens India's nuclear programme, enhances fuel efficiency and advances long-term plans for thorium-based clean energy generation

Strike near Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, no radiation spike: IAEA

Iran also told the IAEA that one member of the plant's physical protection staff was killed by a projectile fragment

SE Asia revisits nuclear power plans for AI data centres amid Iran war

Nuclear power is getting a second look in Southeast Asia as countries prepare to meet surging energy demand as they vie for artificial intelligence-focused data centres. Several Southeast Asian nations are reviving mothballed nuclear plans and setting ambitious targets and nearly half of the region could, if they pursue those goals, have nuclear energy in the 2030s. Even countries without current plans have signaled their interest. Southeast Asia has never produced a single watt of nuclear energy, despite long-held atomic ambitions. But that may soon change as pressure mounts to reduce emissions that contribute to climate change, while meeting growing power needs. The Iran war is underscoring the vulnerability of Asia's energy supplies, raising the sense of urgency about finding alternatives to oil and gas in Southeast Asia, analysts say. The surge in crude oil prices caused by the escalating conflict has raised the motivation for countries to speed up their nuclear efforts, said .

France to boost nuclear arsenal amid uncertainty over US commitments

The move is a historic pivot for France, which has long insisted on preserving the independence of its nuclear stockpile

Finding funds for India's nuclear plans and long-term financing hurdles

India's push for 100 GW nuclear capacity by 2047 will need over $200 billion, demanding long-tenor financing, sovereign support and a dedicated nuclear finance entity

NPCIL reconnects Tarapur Atomic Power Station's Unit-1 to power grid

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced the successful reconnection of Tarapur Atomic Power Station's Unit-1 (TAPS-1) to the electricity grid following a landmark life-extension programme. The achievement marks a major milestone for the country's oldest nuclear facility, which has undergone extensive renovation and modernisation to ensure long-term operational reliability, the NPCIL said on Monday. An official release issued by the NPCIL said the life-extension activities were executed under "stringent regulatory oversight" and align with global nuclear safety standards. "The successful completion of such complex activities in this reactor type reflects NPCIL's engineering excellence and strong Renovation and Modernisation capability," it said, noting that TAPS-1 and its twin Unit-2 are currently the oldest reactors in operation globally. The comprehensive upgrade involved high-end engineering interventions to enhance safety margins. The NPCIL also ...

No mishap at Kudankulam, safety central to nuclear policy: Jitendra Singh

'Safety first, production next' is the formula followed by India's atomic energy sector, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday said, as he allayed concerns around safety at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai said the Kudankulam project got delayed due to safety concerns around it, and questioned the way its power is being distributed. Singh said the share is determined through a formula, under which 50 per cent of the power is retained by the state, 35 per cent is given to the neighbouring states, and 15 per cent is sent to the national grid. The minister also said that many apprehensions regarding the safety are because of "extraneous" and "political" reasons. "Such apprehensions also arise sometimes because of extraneous reasons, political reasons... There has never been any such mishap. The formula we follow is 'Safety First, Production Next," he said. "There was some iss

Adani Power sets up nuclear-focussed unit as govt moves to open sector

The move comes as India opens ‌its nuclear power sector to greater private participation to meet rising electricity demand and curb carbon emissions

NITI calls for one-time discom debt takeover, green bonds for N-power

Niti Aayog has proposed a one-time, conditional discom debt takeover and green bond financing for nuclear power, alongside broader power and transport sector reforms to support India's net-zero goals

US accuses China of secret nuclear test in 2020; Beijing rejects charge

The allegation was raised days after the New START treaty expired, with Washington urging broader arms control that includes China as Beijing dismissed the charge as a false narrative

Govt could order more indigenous reactors to boost nuclear capacity

The government is considering seeking bids to build as many as 10 pressurised heavy water reactors with a capacity of 700 megawatts each - a third such bulk order

Why protests are growing across Iran amid rising nuclear tensions

Widening protests in Iran sparked by the Islamic Republic's ailing economy are putting new pressure on its theocracy. Tehran is still reeling from a 12-day war launched by Israel in June that saw the United States bomb nuclear sites in Iran. Economic pressure, intensified in September by the return of United Nations sanctions on the country over its atomic programme, has put Iran's rial currency into a free fall, now trading at some 1.4 million to USD 1. Meanwhile, Iran's self-described Axis of Resistance a coalition of countries and militant groups backed by Tehran has been decimated in the years since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in 2023. A new threat by US President Donald Trump warning Iran that if Tehran violently kills peaceful protesters, the U.S. will come to their rescue" has taken on new meaning after American troops captured Venezuelan President Nicols Maduro, a longtime ally of Tehran. Here's what to know about the protests and the challenges facing Iran's ...

Can nuclear deliver for India? The SHANTI Bill raises tough questions

The SHANTI Bill opens the door to private participation but it may not transform India's nuclear energy future

Lack of triggers, weak demand may keep power stocks under pressure

Weak power demand and surplus capacity cloud near-term prospects, but energy transition, nuclear reforms and grid upgrades offer long-term opportunities across India's power sector

Best of BS Opinion: New rural jobs law will bring significant changes

Today's wrap looks at the new rural jobs law, the push to open civil nuclear power to private investors, a US strategic reset, RBI's views on bank ownership, and a book on American power

Explained: SHANTI Bill and India's push for private nuclear energy

The SHANTI 2025 proposes a new legal framework to govern the production, use and regulation of nuclear energy and ionising radiation in India

Cabinet clears SHANTI Bill to open civil nuclear energy to private sector

The Cabinet nod comes as a significant development for India's nuclear energy sector, as it aims to reach a 100 GW atomic energy target by 2047

India on course to become superpower by 2047: Former Isro chief Somnath

Former ISRO Chairman S Somnath said that India will be a "superpower" in 2047, with space technology and manufacturing being a supplier to the world. Somnath made these remarks during the inauguration of the 71st convention of the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP) here on Friday. He asserted that "science and spirituality can coexist, just as faith and reality complement each other", adding that our sages and saints explored mathematics, astronomy, metallurgy, architecture, and medicine, and that our spirituality embodies the insights of modern science. Somnath said that everyone knows that India is progressing, which is instilling a new confidence in the people. He said, "This is the first time that India is being viewed differently in the world, and this is possible because we are pillars of democratic stability." "Today's India is a youthful India, with 25 per cent of the population being young, and this will remain the case for the next 25 years, a position that is ...

Czech Republic plans $19 bn nuclear push to double output, cut fossil use

The eight huge cooling towers of the Dukovany power plant overlook a construction site for two more reactors as the Czech Republic pushes ahead with plans to expand its reliance on nuclear energy. Mobile drilling rigs have been extracting samples 140 metres below ground for a geological survey to make sure the site is suitable for a USD 19 billion project as part of the expansion that should eventually at least double the country's nuclear output and cement its place among Europe's most nuclear-dependent nations. South Korea's KHNP beat France's EDF in a tender to construct a new plant whose two reactors will have an output of over 1,000 megawatts each. After becoming operational in the second half of the 2030s, they will complement Dukovany's four 512-MW reactors that date from the 1980s. The KHNP deal gives the Czechs an option to have two more units built at the other nuclear plant in Temeln, which currently has two 1,000-megawatt reactors. Then, they are set to follow up with .

Xi's military purges expose corruption, raise doubts on China's nuke forces

The shake-up in China's armed forces comes as both Beijing and Washington are pushing through major changes in their country's militaries, in different ways