The SHANTI Act 2025: Transforming India's Atomic Energy Landscape
The SHANTI Act 2025 marks a pivotal shift in India's approach to nuclear energy, opening it up to public and private sectors, as well as academia and industry. This legislative change aims to create an ecosystem responsive to India’s nuclear energy needs and opportunities. However, a supportive regulatory framework free from monopolistic practices is crucial to achieving development goals.
Challenges in Uranium Supply and Sustainability
- India's nuclear capacity expansion is heavily reliant on imported uranium due to the high cost and low yield of domestic uranium ores.
- The government's target of achieving 100 GWe nuclear energy capacity by 2047 will require 18,000–20,000 tonnes of uranium annually, equivalent to one-third of the current global production.
- Given the forecasted increase in global nuclear capacity to 1,400 GWe by 2047, existing uranium resources can sustain this growth for only about three decades, indicating that once-through uranium usage is unsustainable.
Thorium Recycling: A Strategic Alternative
- Thorium recycling offers a solution to uranium supply constraints by significantly increasing the energy potential of nuclear fuel.
- India possesses the largest thorium reserves, presenting an opportunity for energy independence and reduced proliferation risks.
- Successfully utilizing thorium requires addressing technical challenges through a multidisciplinary approach and innovation.
Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) and HALEUs
- India's three-stage nuclear power programme includes FBRs to efficiently use thorium resources, with the first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor nearing completion.
- Metal-fuelled FBRs with recycling technology must be developed to support rapid capacity growth.
- The current focus is on the 100 GWe mission using imported uranium, but PHWRs can be leveraged to produce uranium-233 for the third-stage thorium reactors.
- Combining thorium with HALEU in PHWRs offers benefits in fuel economics, safety, and proliferation resistance.
International Cooperation and Future Focus
- India lacks facilities for accelerated irradiation testing, but can utilize international partnerships to advance HALEU-thorium fuel development.
- Developing SMRs and systems for producing low-cost green hydrogen is crucial, and these systems may share common back-end technology such as pyrochemical nuclear recycling.
- China's advancements in SMR development emphasize the urgency for India to prioritize this area, as noted in the 2025–26 budget.
In conclusion, the SHANTI Act 2025 is expected to catalyze efforts towards achieving energy independence in India. A former chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, stresses the importance of aligning these developments with India’s broader energy goals.
