What is Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) ? Nuclear Energy Mission

 

What is Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) ?

Ans: 

The BSMRs are modified versions of India’s existing Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PWHR) and will have a capacity of 200 MW each. They will be fuelled by “slightly enriched uranium” and are being jointly designed and developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL).

The “concept design” stage of India’s proposed Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) has been completed and is in the process of being approved.

 Once the project is sanctioned, it will take 60 to 72 months for the reactor to be constructed.

The BSMR was based on the “globally proven” pressurised water reactor technology. It was equipped with passive safety features as well as several engineered safety systems to ensure nuclear safety during accidents. Systems were planned to handle spent fuel and its storage in-situ.

Manufacturing and delivery of equipment and components will be carried out through various indigenous nuclear vendors developed by the Department Of Atomic Energy (DAE). “Critical items”, such as low alloy steel forgings required for manufacturing the reactor pressure vessel and reactivity control drive mechanisms, will be procured by domestic private vendors. 

These BSMRs will be used by energy intensive industries such as steel, aluminium, and cement for captive power and can be set up by repurposing thermal power plants that are to be decommissioned. They can also provide electricity in remote places.

The government has committed ₹20,000 crore for setting up the first of these by 2033.

India expects to have 100 GW (gigawatt) of nuclear power installed by 2047.

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Dt: 21.8.2025

During the Budget 2025 announcement the government had launched a Nuclear Energy Mission with an outlay of ₹20,000 crore for research and development of Small Modular Reactors (SMRs). Currently, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) a constituent unit of DAE, is developing following Small Modular Reactors:

i.  Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMR-200) for repurposing of retiring thermal power plants & captive power plants for energy intensive industry such as aluminium, steel, metal etc.

ii.  Small Modular Reactors (SMR-55) for providing energy for remote as well as off grid location with objective to decarbonise the energy sector.

iii.  High Temperature Gas Cooled Reactor of capacity 5 MWth for hydrogen generation for decarbonisation of transport sector & process industries. Lead units of these reactors are planned to be set up at DAE sites. The subsequent units are to be located at the sites of the end-user industry in case of captive power plants and at brownfield sites of retiring thermal power plants. The Department has obtained in-principle approval for construction of these reactors.

There are plans to establish some of the newly proposed SMR-type reactors at BARC Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. Sites for Nuclear Power Plants including SMRs are finalized based on various criteria decided by the Site Selection Committee. Prospective vendors and public or private institutions will be selected on the basis of appropriate bidding process, for execution of equipment delivery, construction, erection and commissioning activities pertaining to these reactors.

 BARC has developed a new campus at Vizag, Andhra Pradesh. This new campus will be housing several research reactors and R&D facilities in addition to some of the new SMRs being developed by the Department.