{"id":46350,"date":"2025-06-26T21:42:12","date_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:12:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/?p=46350"},"modified":"2025-06-26T21:42:46","modified_gmt":"2025-06-26T16:12:46","slug":"bihar-first-nuclear-power-plant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-06-2025\/bihar-first-nuclear-power-plant","title":{"rendered":"Bihar to Get its First Nuclear Power Plant"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS3\/ Energy<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Bihar is set to host its<strong> first nuclear power plant<\/strong>, making it one of the first six states to benefit from the Government of India\u2019s National Nuclear Energy Mission.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>About<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The announcement comes as part of a broader push to diversify India\u2019s energy mix, strengthen regional energy security, and integrate advanced technologies like <strong>Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The Government has also approved a <strong>1,000 MW battery storage capacity project <\/strong>in Bihar, aimed at enhancing grid stability and supporting renewable energy integration.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The government will provide<strong> viability gap funding of Rs 18 lakh per MW<\/strong> for this initiative.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#fff2cc\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>What is Nuclear Energy?<\/strong><br>&#8211; Nuclear energy is the <strong>energy released during nuclear reactions,<\/strong> either through fission (splitting of atomic nuclei) or fusion (merging of atomic nuclei).\u00a0<br>&#8211; <strong>In nuclear fission, <\/strong>heavy atomic nuclei, such as those of uranium or plutonium, are split into lighter nuclei, releasing a large amount of energy.\u00a0<br>1. This process is utilized in nuclear power plants to generate electricity.\u00a0<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>What are Small Modular Reactors (SMRs)?<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Small modular reactors (SMRs) are advanced nuclear reactors with a power capacity of up to <strong>300 MW(e) per unit, <\/strong>roughly one-third the generating capacity of traditional nuclear power plants.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Small <\/strong>\u2013 physically a fraction of the size of a conventional nuclear power reactor.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Modular <\/strong>\u2013 making it possible for systems and components to be factory-assembled and transported as a unit to a location for installation.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Reactors <\/strong>\u2013 harnessing nuclear fission to generate heat to produce energy.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>There are four four main types<\/strong> of SMR i.e., light water, high temperature gas, liquid metal, and molten salt.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Advantages of SMR<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Enhanced Safety Features:<\/strong> SMRs utilize passive safety mechanisms, such as natural convection and gravity-driven cooling, which help prevent overheating without relying on external power or human intervention.\u00a0<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Flexibility:<\/strong> The modular nature of SMRs allows for incremental power additions, which is ideal for growing energy needs.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Suitability for Remote and Off-Grid Areas: <\/strong>SMRs compact design makes them adaptable for smaller grid systems and applications like district heating and water desalination.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Cost-Effective Construction:<\/strong> Prefabrication in controlled environments reduces on-site construction time and costs.\u00a0<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Government Initiatives for Enhancing India\u2019s Nuclear Capacity<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>India aims to increase its nuclear installed capacity from the present <strong>8,180 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031\u201332.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Construction and commissioning of 10 Reactors with a total capacity of 8,000 MW is ongoing across the states of <strong>Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>International Collaboration:<\/strong> In-principle approval has been granted for setting up 6 \u00d7 1,208 MW nuclear power reactors in Kovvada, Andhra Pradesh, in cooperation with the United States.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><strong>Recent Developments in Nuclear Energy in India<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>A significant new uranium deposit was discovered around <strong>India\u2019s oldest uranium mine in Jaduguda (Jharkhand).<\/strong><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP-7) Achieves Criticality:<\/strong> On September 19, 2024, <strong>Unit-7 of RAPP<\/strong> reached criticality, a key milestone in nuclear reactor operations, indicating the start of a self-sustained fission chain reaction.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This is the<strong> third<\/strong> indigenous nuclear reactor to achieve this status.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station Units 3 &amp; 4,<\/strong> each of <strong>700 MWe<\/strong>, started commercial operation in<strong> FY 2023\u201324.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>These are among the first indigenously designed <strong>Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs)<\/strong> of this scale.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India\u2019s first <strong>500 MWe PFBR at Kalpakkam<\/strong> achieved key milestones in 2024, including primary sodium filling, commissioning of sodium pumps, and core loading.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><strong>Nuclear Energy Mission<\/strong><br>&#8211; <strong>Capacity Target: <\/strong>100 GW by 2047 (Current capacity: 8 GW).<br>&#8211; <strong>Small Modular Reactors (SMRs):<\/strong> \u20b920,000 crore allocation for R&amp;D and indigenous SMR development.<br>1. Goal: Five operational SMRs by 2033.<br>&#8211; <strong>Private Sector Participation:<\/strong> Proposed amendments to key legislations:<br>1. Atomic Energy Act, 1962: Framework for nuclear energy development and regulation.<br>2. Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010: Ensuring compensation mechanisms for nuclear incidents.<br>&#8211; <strong>Capacity Expansion:<\/strong> 10 new reactors (totaling 8 GW) under construction across Gujarat, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Haryana, Karnataka, and Madhya Pradesh.<br>1. <strong>Approval for a 6\u00d71208 MW<\/strong> nuclear plant in Andhra Pradesh in collaboration with the USA.<br>&#8211; <strong>Nuclear Partnerships:<\/strong> Collaboration with the private sector to develop Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) and Bharat Small Modular Reactors (BSMRs).<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/india\/bihar-first-nuclear-power-plant-national-smr-rollout-10087145\/\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\"><strong>IE<\/strong><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<h3><strong>Context<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">Bihar is set to host its first nuclear power plant, making it one of the first six states to benefit from the Government of India\u2019s National Nuclear Energy Mission.<\/li>\n<p><\/p>\n<h3><strong>About<\/strong><\/h3>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The announcement comes as part of a broader push to diversify India\u2019s energy mix, strengthen regional energy security, and integrate advanced technologies like Small Modular Reactors (SMRs).<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The Government has also approved a 1,000 MW battery storage capacity project in Bihar, aimed at enhancing grid stability and supporting renewable energy integration.\u00a0<\/li>\n<li class=\"ms-5\">The government will provide viability gap funding of Rs 18 lakh per MW for this initiative.<\/li>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/current-affairs\/26-06-2025\/bihar-first-nuclear-power-plant\" class=\"btn btn-primary btn-sm float-end\">Read\u00a0More<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":15,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[21],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-46350","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-current-affairs"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46350","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/15"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=46350"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46350\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":46361,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/46350\/revisions\/46361"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=46350"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=46350"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=46350"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}