India aims to increase its nuclear power generation capacity to 100 gigawatts electric (GWe) by 2047 as part of its strategy to achieve net-zero carbon emissions by 2070.
In a written reply in the Lok Sabha, the lower house of India's Parliament, India's Minister of State for Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said the expansion of nuclear power would be a key pillar of the country's long-term clean energy strategy and support Prime Minister Narendra Modi's vision of "Viksit Bharat" (Developed India), India's largest news agency, Asian News International (ANI) reported.
According to ANI, India currently has about 8.8 GW of installed nuclear capacity and plans to raise this to 100 GW through a phased expansion over the next two decades. The minister said the program would create opportunities for international cooperation in manufacturing, technology, supply chains and research.
ANI reported that Singh described nuclear energy as a reliable source of round-the-clock, low-carbon electricity that complements renewable energy sources such as solar and wind, while strengthening the country's energy security.
Singh also said the government's Nuclear Energy Mission targets the deployment of at least five domestically developed small modular reactors (SMRs) by 2033.
He added that the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is working on three indigenous designs, including the 220-MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor, a 55-MW SMR and a small high-temperature gas-cooled reactor intended for hydrogen production.
By Ebru Sengul Cevrioglu
Anadolu Agency
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