India to build 5 SMRs by 2033, says Jitendra Singh
India is gearing up to build five small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) by 2033, aiming to boost clean energy and move away from coal.
Announced by Atomic Energy Minister Jitendra Singh, the plan includes three new reactor types: a large 220-megawatt unit, a smaller 55-megawatt one for electricity, and a compact gas-cooled reactor designed to produce hydrogen.
Government greenlights private nuclear participation
Over $2 billion has already gone into SMR development as part of India's strategy to cut carbon emissions.
The government is now letting private companies join in building and running nuclear plants, hoping this will help scale up capacity from today's 8.8 gigawatts to an ambitious 100 gigawatts by 2047.
Visakhapatnam will host the country's first hydrogen-producing SMR, with both public and private sectors playing key roles in this energy transition.