Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) has roped in central PSU Engineers India for services to develop the design and engineer the systems and components of Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), a company filing said on August 14.
The partnership will support Centre's vision to accelerate the share of nuclear power and strengthen India’s energy security, and will be targetting a nuclear power capacity of 100 GW by 2047. The MoU was signed between the two managements at NPCIL's Mumbai office on August 12, the statement said. The government has set an ambitious target of 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047, making nuclear energy a crucial pillar in India's energy mix. India’s present nuclear capacity stands at 8,180 MW.
Shares of Engineers India are sharply lower by 4 percent in the trading session. EIL has said in the past that it has been scouting and discussing nuclear power projects with NTPC as well as NPCIL.
The concept design of Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) had been completed as of April 2025, and a detailed engineering design of nuclear and non-nuclear systems has been taken up. In the Union Budget 2025-26, a Nuclear Energy Mission was unveiled to focus on developing Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) with Rs 20,000 crore allocated for the programme, that will develop at least five indigenously designed and operational SMRs by 2033. Read More
As part of the mission, amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act too will be taken up by the Parliament, at a later stage, in an effort to create a more conducive environment for india's nuclear power space.
The BSMR is being developed by BARC and NPCIL, with services of indigenous private nuclear vendors being sought for various equipment and components of 200 MW BSMRs through competitive bidding. The construction, erection and commissioning works will be entrusted with pre-qualified EPC vendors.
The demonstration unit of BSMR200 is expected to be completed in six years’ time one financial approvals are in place, Jitendra Singh, MoS for Science and Technology had informed the Parliament earlier this year. The Plant is expected to be commissioned followed by at the end of seventh year at an expected cost of Rs 5,700 crore for the lead unit.
BSMR is based on globally-proven pressurized water reactor technology, and the BSMR-based power plant will be subjected to comprehensive regulatory licensing processes. The Centre said the design will be standardised in the follow-on units to ensure cost-effectiveness. The BSMR will be largely indigenous, making mass deployment relatively fast and cost effective.
Read More: India-UK trade deal opens doors for export of Indian nuclear reactors
The government plans to keep the option of using imported uranium, which is slightly enriched, if required for the reactor.
The mission to develop BSMRs aligns with the commitment to generate 500 GW of non-fossil fuel-based energy by 2030, and meeting a targetted 50 percent of India's energy requirements from renewable energy by 2030.
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