In partnership with Grant Thornton Bharat, independent think tank Chintan Research Foundation (CRF) announced Wednesday that it had successfully held a high-level national workshop in the nation’s capital called “Private Sector Participation in the Nuclear Power Sector in India: Opportunities, Challenges, and the Path Ahead.”
The workshop took place in light of India’s growing energy needs and long-term clean energy objectives, such as the Nuclear Energy Mission’s target of building 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047.
The workshop gave important stakeholders from ministries, regulators, public sector enterprises, top private companies, think tanks, law firms, financial institutions, and foreign strategic partners a forum for structured discussion on the legislative revisions under consideration.
Following CRF President Shishir Priyadarshi’s welcome speech, Dr. Montek Singh Ahluwalia gave the keynote lecture, highlighting the critical role nuclear energy will play in India’s clean and secure energy future.
Grant Thornton’s presentation providing context In addition to identifying institutional barriers and facilitators in the Indian context, Bharat described the global environment for nuclear-private sector interaction.
Representatives from the Vivekananda International Foundation, Grid Controller of India Ltd., Centre for Air Power Studies, and PLR Chambers participated in the “Policy and Regulatory Reforms” session, offering insights on legal modernization, governance, and regulatory frameworks.
The proposed amendments to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010 and the Atomic Energy Act of 1962, the design of the liability-sharing and reinsurance ecosystem, the necessity of updating seismic/exclusion zone standards, modernizing licensing, and permitting concurrent reviews for imported technologies, as well as the possibility of creating flexible governance models for pricing and project structuring under the Electricity Act, were the main topics of discussion.
Participants from the Adani Group, JSW Energy Ltd., L&T Heavy Engineering, National Institute of Advanced Studies, Council for Energy, Environment and Water, and FICCI came together for the session on “Enabling Frameworks for Investment.”
The main topics of discussion included the practical difficulties in organizing feasible nuclear projects using the current RFP and public procurement formats; international nuclear project financing models, such as the Regulated Asset Base (RAB) approach, sovereign guarantees, and cost-recovery mechanisms; the role of the private sector in the value chain, ranging from EPC to possible O&M and investment partnerships; and the necessity of developing skilled human capital and strengthening domestic supply chain resilience in order to support the 100 GW goal.
NTPC Ltd., the World Nuclear Association, The Voices of Nuclear and RePlanet France, Pacific Forum, Westinghouse, and Pranos Fusion all contributed to the last session on nuclear technology and international diplomacy.
India’s position in international technology partnerships, including licensing, collaboration, and access to next-generation designs; fuel security strategies through multilateral procurement frameworks and domestic supply chain development; the strategic role of small modular reactors in decarbonization and distributed clean energy; and the significance of proactive public outreach and communication to foster confidence in nuclear energy as a safe and clean alternative were the main topics of discussion.
The workshop made clear that working with private sector partners is essential to India’s energy transformation, especially in order to have access to cutting-edge technology and knowledge.
In order to facilitate the scalable deployment of nuclear technologies, particularly small modular reactors, the stakeholders demanded creative financing solutions that reduce the cost of capital, guarantee tariff certainty, and fortify supply chains.
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