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Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance is a small town of about 1,000 people in southern France, with a picturesque 15th-century castle and a handful of shops.
However, its quaint charm is not the only reason that attracted Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi this week. Saint-Paul-Lez-Durance is also home to Cadarache, one of the world’s outstanding nuclear research centers.
In Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman Federal Budget Earlier this month, it will promote the development of nuclear power generation in India.
“This initiative aims to enhance domestic nuclear energy, promote private sector participation and accelerate the deployment of advanced nuclear technologies such as small modular reactors (SMRs),” the government said in a statement.
Small modular reactors that produce 300 megawatts of electricity have been touted as the answer to several challenges facing the nuclear industry. The industry says SMR will be manufactured elsewhere and in modules assembled on site, which will reduce construction time and costs, which are often multiple times as initial estimates.
In fact, the government said it would build five modular reactors in under ten years of funding to help it realize itself. By 2047, 100 gigawatt nuclear energy targets. Nuclear energy currently accounts for about 3% of India’s power generation capacity, with capacity planned to increase from 6.7 GW to 22.4 GW by 2031.
While the goals are certainly ambitious, the challenges seem daunting, if not completely impossible to overcome. For example, the International Energy Agency and investment banks Bernstein and Royal Bank of Canada say India’s nuclear ambitions are completely unachievable.
Even with China’s history in infrastructure development, it took the country about 15 years to build its first modular reactor, Linglong. Analysts say it would be “surprising” if India is to beat this timeframe.
“While it is definitely worth India’s wholehearted attempt from the perspective of stock market analysts, the price is too far today,” said Bernstein analyst Nikhil Nigania. It is likely that even if (a) Indigenous SMR plans for (five) government programs are operating in India by 2033.”
Atomic litigation
India may also stumble upon the first step.
Not a modular 220 MW Bharat small reactor tender, it will build nuclear power plants to the private sector for all financial risks, which is the Civil Liability Nuclear Damage Act, while the state-owned power NPCIL retains many benefits, including the Ownership and control of the power plant.
The bill treats companies and their suppliers as any nuclear accident in India and is seen by experts in certain industries as the bane of the private sector. They said that if it weren’t for the law, India would now build the world’s largest nuclear power plant in India.
The French state-owned nuclear giant EDF operates more than 60 nuclear power plants in France and the UK, and submitted its plan in 2021 to build six reactor units that will produce 9.6 GW of carbon-free energy. However, earlier this year, it said the existence of CLND prevented it from moving forward.
“In addition to the national risks that include substantial tax protection, conditions related to India’s nuclear liabilities must be met and financing plans for the project must be secured before signing the final contract,” the EDF said in a group. The bond prospectus earlier this year Release sometimes.
Meanwhile, U.S. nuclear giant Westinghouse Electric proposed to build six 1,200-megawatt AP1000 reactors that have been tested in the United States and China more than a decade ago. However, no progress has been made in the deal since then.
“Westinghouse, a supplier of high output nuclear power plants, remains sold to India and does not have lasting limited liability in the event of an accident.” Carnegie International Peace Foundation In 2023.
These concerns did not attract attention. The Indian government said it intends to amend laws that prevent companies like the EDF from entering the nuclear sector.
“In order to establish this goal with the private sector, amendments to the Atomic Energy Act and the Nuclear Damage Act will be adopted,” Finance Minister Sitharaman said in a budget speech to Parliament.
However, amending the statute is only the first step for India, as it appears to have made progress in achieving its nuclear objectives.
Scarce land
Another key factor in holding these circular machine constructions is finding the right land. Nuclear fears from the past, including the Fukushima nuclear disaster in 2011, have been repeatedly used by locals to protest the construction of plants in their backyards.
For example, the foundation stone of the 1.4 gigawatt gorakhpur factory in Haryana State was laid in 2014, but a single energy is not expected to be produced until 2032-18 years later.
But India also learns from its experience.
This is one of the most time-consuming processes since finding the land and seeking numerous approvals from stakeholders, with new plants currently in the planning phase being deployed in clusters of six gigabit-sized reactors.
Most existing plants in India are geographically dispersed with only two or four reactors, each with a sub-view of production capacity. Now the government has the reactor worth about 6.5 GW that is currently being built, which is an extension of existing nuclear power plants that require fewer permits.
Today’s long schedule doesn’t mean that this has always been the case. The country previously built reactors within five years, only by replicating known technologies for existing nuclear power plants.
Private company
The private companies currently involved in nuclear power projects (limited to non-core elements of reactors) also help make the construction process more efficient.
For example, earlier this month, the engineering company Larsen & Toubro The steam generator is expected to be installed at the Kaiga Atomic Energy Station in southern Karnataka.
“L&T is committed to providing NOS 700 MWE steam generators every year and has successfully obtained a 220 MWE Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) program to ensure a net by 2070 to 2070,” said Anil V Parab, Senior Executive Vice President. Zero carbon emissions.” Statement of L&T Heavy Duty Engineering.
Another way to cut the timeline and increase the chances of achieving India’s ambitious goals is to work with foreign entities, such as the EDF in France, to gain technical expertise, according to analysts.
Russia provides basic technology for the vast majority of India’s nuclear power plants, while France and the United States are the main operators of nuclear reactor fleets.
Will this surprise if Modi’s agenda be on Modi’s agenda when visiting Paris and Washington this week?
