NPCIL to Update Reactor Tenders to Align with SHANTI Guidelines

State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) is reworking its Bharat Small Reactors (BSRs) tender after the enactment of the SHANTI Act, a landmark legislation that allows private participation in India’s nuclear energy sector, as per news reports. 

BSR Tender to Be Aligned with New Nuclear Law 

NPCIL had issued a request for proposal (RFP) in December 2024, inviting state-owned and private companies to participate in setting up 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors. The original tender was framed under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.  

Following the passage of the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act last month, NPCIL has extended the proposal submission deadline to March 2026. 

Industry Consultation and Revised Business Model 

NPCIL will conduct a consultative workshop next week to discuss a revised approach for implementing the BSR programme under the new legal framework.  

The original RFP envisaged deployment of 220 MW Bharat Small Reactors based on Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) technology at brownfield and greenfield sites offered by industries for captive electricity use. 

The tender followed the Budget 2024 announcement allowing private companies to participate in deploying Bharat Small Reactors as captive power plants. 

Nuclear Expansion Roadmap and SMR Development 

India’s Nuclear Energy Mission targets a total installed nuclear capacity of 100 GW by 2047. Under this roadmap, NPCIL is expected to add 54 GW through indigenous PHWR-based projects and light water reactors developed with foreign collaboration. 

Separately, the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is designing small reactor technologies, including 200 MW Bharat Small Modular Reactors and 55 MW Small Modular Reactors, aimed at captive use by energy-intensive industries and deployment in remote locations. 

Read More: Nuclear Power Collaboration: NTPC Signs Pacts with Rosatom, EDF for PWR Projects! 

Conclusion 

The reworking of the BSR tender marks a key transition for India’s nuclear sector, as NPCIL aligns its commercial framework with the SHANTI Act to enable private participation while advancing long-term capacity expansion goals. 

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