Small Modular Reactor
Why in news?
- India is actively developing three types of SMRs: 200 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR), a 55 MW SMR, and a 5 MW High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor focused on hydrogen production.
- Demonstration reactors are planned for construction within the next 5-6 years. India sees SMRs as critical for decarbonization, repurposing retiring coal power plants, and powering remote regions.
- Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear fission reactors with a power capacity of up to 300 MW electric, about one-third the size of traditional nuclear power reactors.
- They are physically smaller and designed to be factory-fabricated as modular units that can be transported to installation sites, allowing for streamlined construction and scalability.
- SMRs generate energy by harnessing nuclear fission to produce heat, which is then converted to electricity or used for other purposes like desalination and hydrogen production.
- SMRs incorporate passive safety features that operate without external power or human intervention.
- Lower power output reduces decay heat risks and mitigates meltdown potential.
- Integral design often contains reactor core, steam generator, and pressurizer within a sealed vessel to prevent contamination.
- Some are planned to operate underground or as floating nuclear power plants.
- Military small reactors have an excellent safety record over decades of operation.
- As of 2025, operational SMRs exist in Russia (floating plant Akademik Lomonosov) and China (HTR-PM pebble-bed reactor).
- About 127 SMR designs worldwide, with several in pre-licensing or licensing stages.
- NuScale Power's SMR designs (VOYGR-4 and VOYGR-6) are licensed in the US.
- Significant government and industry interest globally for energy transition and decarbonization.
- SMRs are considered to support carbon emission reduction and net zero goals.
- Modular construction may reduce on-site costs but have higher per-unit costs due to smaller scale.
- Advanced fuel cycles and waste recycling technologies are being developed to reduce radioactive waste volume.
- Economic competitiveness still debated; large-scale production and deployment needed to lower costs.
- Higher surface-to-volume ratio can lead to more neutron leakage and radioactive waste per unit output.
- Licensing and regulatory processes are complex due to diverse designs.
- Proliferation concerns exist, but sealed, long-life fuel designs can improve security.
- Waste management strategies need adaptation to varied SMR fuel cycles.
