N-energy: India, France to jointly develop new generation of modern reactors
Virendra Pandit
New Delhi: India and France have agreed to jointly develop a new generation of nuclear reactors, signaling New Delhi’s intent to partner with other nations for cutting-edge technology as the US threatens to upend global trade.
India plans to have at least five locally-made small and modular reactors (SMRs) by 2033.
The two nations have decided to partner on building advanced modular reactors and SMRs for civil use, as the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in the media reports on Thursday.
The decision was based on a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris on Wednesday. They also agreed to deepen cooperation on nuclear research, the statement added.
PM Modi’s government wants to revive interest in India’s nuclear energy potential, promising easier regulations for suppliers and over USD 2 billion for research. Much of these funds will be used for research and development of SMRs, a nascent technology gaining prominence because it’s quick to build and easier to adjust to grid requirements.
The SMRs, which can generate up to 300 megawatts of power, can be assembled on locations where it’s not feasible to construct larger nuclear facilities. This flexibility makes them attractive for companies looking to cut down on emissions and become compliant with green regulations in the export market.
France and India have co-operated in the past in the nuclear sector, including talks to construct the world’s largest nuclear power plant in Maharashtra. Progress on that project remained slow because of India’s strict regulations for makers of nuclear reactors.
In her budget speech this month, Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said India will amend its civil nuclear liability law to make it easier to attract private capital and technology to the sector.
The Indo-French agreement came just a day before PM Modi’s scheduled meeting with US President Donald Trump in Washington.
While the two nations have been co-operating on cutting-edge technology, including chips, AI and defense for years now, some deals have faced delays recently, including delivery of jet engines that power India’s light-combat aircraft.
The return of Donald Trump to the White House, and his transactional approach to foreign policy, has added an additional layer of uncertainty to the partnership.
