G20: US keen on sharing advanced SMR technology in nuclear power with India | India News

MUMBAI: Foreign interest, especially that of US, in helping india in technology transition such as small modular reactors for nuclear power, creation of large battery storage for renewable energy generation targets set for 2030, creating state-wise land-pool identification to set up solar power plants, and taking immediate steps to encourage green hydrogen, biofuel and offshore wind turbines were some of the main highlights of the third three-day energy transition meeting that concluded in Mumbai on Wednesday as part of the G20 summit.
The meeting witnessed participation of over 100 delegates from G20 member countries, special invitee countries and International Organisations such as World Bank, Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Economic Forum, United Nations Development Program (UNDP), Clean Energy Ministerial (CEM), International Energy Agency (IEA), Organisation of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC), Economic Research Institute for ASEAN and East Asia (ERIA), International Solar Alliance (ISA), International Renewable Energy Agency (IRENA), Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL), United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and the Pacific (UNESCAP), United Nations International Development Organization (UNIDO), and United Nations Environment Program (UNEP)
“The US delegation supported the technology transfer. But It is always on a voluntary, mutually agreed basis. You cannot have a general thing. There are details being worked out. So, whatever is mutually agreed. My sense is the US side is very keen to collaborate with India in the area of technology, including nuclear technology,” said union power secretary Alok Kumar, who chaired the meeting, when asked about the small modular reactors (SMRs).
It may be recalled that India’s G20 Sherpa Amitabh Kant on Tuesday had called for an unfettered access to nuclear technology from the US to build small modular reactors (SMR) in the country. He had also said the private sector needed to be allowed into the atomic energy sector to take advantage of the more efficient SMRs. India also needs to work with the US so that it is provided unfettered access to cutting edge technology by granting general authorisation to India, Kant had said addressing a session at the energy transition working group of G20 meeting. Advantages of SMRs lie in the speed of installation and cost savings, enhanced safety, flexibility of installation, base load power in support of renewables and better waste management.
“We should create an ability to co-produce SMRs in the US and India, and further bring down their costs,” Kant had added, pointing out that the initiative could be a win-win situation for both countries and will radically reduce time, cost overruns and the capex. It can be noted that India has struggled on the nuclear energy expansion front with big plants like the one at Jaitapur being built with French cooperation yet to take off. Kant has also said that state discoms should also build such plants of up to 300 MW capacity with help of the private sector.
Union secretary for renewable energy Bhupinder Singh Bhilla said the Central Electricity Authority has given an estimate that India would need about 200 GW hours of battery storage by 2030. We expect total battery manufacturing capacity of 90-100 GW per annum by 2026, he pointed out. According to Alok Kumar, the country would meet the target of battery storage by 2030 given its policy to promote renewables. It may be mentioned here that India has set a target of 50% renewable energy by 2030.
The renewable power obligation for state discoms for the current year is 27.3% and by 2030 this will rise to 43%, bhalla pointed out. India is set to increase installed generation capacity from non-fossil sources to 500 GW by 2030 from present 172.5 GW, target is to add 50GW annually, said Bhalla. India has aimed at solar capacity addition to 272 to 290 GW by 2030 from the present level of 67 GW and wind to 100-120 GW by 2030 from the present 43 GW and the large hydro to 20-30 GW. Bids for 1 GW of offshore wind in Gujarat and 2 GW in Tamil Nadu are being issued in two months and they will be commissioned by 2030, said Bhalla. Alok Kumar said since offshore turbines did not require land and its power addition came in the evening, they would immensely help reduce costly peak power consumption of 50GW that will be required in the next 20 years.

India is actively pursuing the non-fossil capacity addition to 500 GW by 2030 from the present level of 172.5 GW comprising 67 GW solar, 43 GW wind, 51 GW large hydro and small hydro and 11 GW bio. Of the proposed capacity addition, projects of 66 GW are under various stages of construction or near completion while projects with capacity of 45 GW are in the tender state in which bidding has started by the Centre or by the state. From 172.5 GW installed, almost 284 GW RE capacity has been either installed or planned, said Bhalla while speaking on the sidelines of the G20 3rd Energy Transitions Working Group meeting. ‘’We have given the commitment internationally of achieving 50% of the installed electricity capacity by 2030 from non fossil fuels including RE and nuclear. But nuclear power is a very small component as we estimate about 20 GW will be added by 2030,’’ he added, pointing out that about 110 GW of RE projects were under tendering stage.
‘’PM has set a target of 500 GW of non-fossil capacity by 2030. As far as MNRE is concerned we are targeting 500 GW of which we have to achieve 480 GW excluding 20 GW of nuclear power by 2030. We are currently at 284 GW and it needs to be increased to 480 GW so we have to find projects and add them, start the process and award and complete and commission them by 2030. Seven years is the target. We feel it is possible. For us adding that 200 GW that’s about 30 GW minimum we should aim at 40 or 50 GW we are aiming for a process where we add 50 GW per year. Target is to add 50 GW annually. Minimum is 500 GW that is the benchmark,’’ said Bhalla.