Small modular reactors, commonly known as SMRs, are becoming an essential part of India’s plan to enhance its defense manufacturing and data center sectors.
During a recent high-level policy discussion, experts stressed the importance of shifting the focus from just generating power to ensuring its quality, stability, and consistent availability. This meeting was hosted by the Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) and Finovista, along with Manthan, an initiative supported by the Office of the Principal Scientific Adviser.
Protecting Digital Infrastructure:
A key topic at the discussion was the protection of India’s digital public infrastructure (DPI). As cloud-based e-governance platforms and data storage systems grow, there’s a pressing need for a secure and independent energy source to protect them from potential grid overloads and cyberattacks.
“When it comes to e-governance systems, reliability, resilience, and sovereignty are becoming essential. Having reliable and diverse energy sources is vital for ensuring that critical digital infrastructure operates smoothly, and SMRs could be crucial in providing steady power for these systems,” said Rajnish Kumar, COO of the National e-Governance Division (NeGD), MeitY.
As India aims for 100 GW of nuclear energy to realize its Viksit Bharat 2047 vision, SMRs are seen as a key solution to connect renewable energy with the needs of critical operations.
“We cannot transition to a cleaner energy future without nuclear power. While SMRs present great opportunities, challenges like cost, fuel security, regulations, deployment timeframes, waste management, and safety must be tackled for broader acceptance,” said Shishir Priyadarshi, President of Chintan Research Foundation (CRF).
Challenges Ahead:
The path to adopting SMR-based systems comes with specific challenges:
- Supporting Renewable Energy: SMRs provide a realistic low-carbon option that can work alongside renewable sources, reducing reliance on coal and diesel for heavy industries.
- The 100 GW Ambition: Boosting nuclear capacity is not just a future goal; it is a pressing need for energy security right now.
- Regulatory and Financial Barriers: Despite their benefits, the widespread use of SMRs is hindered by high initial costs, complex financing, lack of public awareness, and the need for a more flexible regulatory framework suited for private operators.
India’s aim for 100 GW of nuclear power should now be seen as an urgent necessity. “Nuclear energy is vital for bolstering India’s long-term energy security,” emphasized Prasenjit Pal, former CEO of NTPC Parmanu Urja Nigam Ltd.
Context:
India’s ambitious goals for defense production and data localization share a crucial demand: the need for stable baseload power. While solar and wind energy projects are growing quickly, their unpredictable nature cannot support the high demands of precision manufacturing or large-scale data centers that need near-constant uptime.
Additionally, the security aspects of both sectors are increasingly linked. Modern defense manufacturing relies heavily on secure cloud services and advanced automation, which makes the data centers supporting them vulnerable to disruptions in power supply.
With their smaller size and capability to be built off-site and set up close to industrial areas, SMRs offer a scalable solution.
“Setting up these reactors in emerging defense industrial regions could greatly improve operations that need steady power. SMRs can provide a dependable electricity source tailored for defense manufacturing,” said Vimal Kumar, Co-Founder of Finovista.
