India and the US are working together for developing next generation small modular reactor technologies for domestic and export markets.
According to a joint statement issued by the US White House, amid Prime Minister Narendra Modi's US visit, President Joe Biden and Prime Minister Modi noted "the ongoing discussion on developing next generation small modular reactor technologies in a collaborative mode for the domestic market as well as for export".
Small modular reactors are the ones which are factory-made compact with less than 300 MW capacity.
Nuclear power equipment manufacturers like Russia's Rosatom, French company EDF and the US based NuScale Energy are now looking at the small modular reactor segment.
For global nuclear power plant makers, small is now beautiful and they are looking at populating their small modular reactors across the world.
With lesser gestation time, higher power generation period and lower risks, nuclear power plant manufacturers are now of the view that small is beautiful and are in favour of small modular reactors, experts had told IANS.
The world's first land-based small modular reactor (SMR) with RITM-200N is slated to be commissioned in 2028 in Russia's Arctic region, said Director General of Rosatom Alexey Likhachev.
Meanwhile, Biden and Modi underscored the important role nuclear energy plays in global decarbonisation efforts and affirmed nuclear energy as a necessary resource to meet nations' climate, energy transition, and energy security needs.
"The leaders noted ongoing negotiations between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Westinghouse Electric Company (WEC) for the construction of six nuclear reactors in India," the statement notes.
The US Department of Energy and India's Department of Atomic Energy are having intense consultations for facilitating the opportunities for WEC to develop a techno-commercial offer for the Kovvada nuclear project in India.
"The United States reaffirms its support for India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group and commits to continue engagement with like minded partners to advance this goal," the joint statement said.
The two leaders also hailed the deepening bilateral cooperation on cutting-edge scientific infrastructure, including a $140 million in-kind contribution from India's Department of Atomic Energy to the US Department of Energy's Fermi National Laboratory toward collaborative development of the Proton Improvement Plan-II Accelerator, for the Long Baseline Neutrino Facility - the first and largest international research facility on American soil.
They also welcomed the commencement of construction of a Laser Interferometer Gravitational-Wave Observatory (LIGO) in India's Maharashtra.
Operation Sindoor: PM Modi meets Rajnath Singh, NSA Doval and three service chiefs
In the backdrop of the ongoing ‘Operation Sindoor’, Prime Minister Narendra Modi chaired a high-level meeting attended by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan, and Chiefs of the Armed Forces and senior officials.
11 more Bangladeshi nationals held in Tripura
The Tripura Frontier of the Border Security Force (BSF), jointly with state police, on Friday apprehended 11 more Bangladeshi nationals, including four women and four children, officials said.
Railway Protection Force tightens security in NFR zone
In response to escalating security challenges across the country, Railway Protection Force (RPF) of the Northeast Frontier Railway (NFR) has significantly strengthened its security protocols at stations, trains and railway premises, an official said on Friday.
India opposes IMF lifeline for Pakistan due to terror financing risk
India strongly opposed further financial assistance from the IMF to Pakistan at the executive board meeting held on Friday, expressing serious concerns over Islamabad’s track record and the fact that the bailouts were enabling the cash-strapped country to sponsor cross-border terrorism.
Sirens echo across Jammu as 'blasts' trigger blackout; CM Omar Abdullah posts urgent advisory on social media
Jammu city plunged into darkness late Friday evening after a series of blasts were heard across the region, prompting authorities to sound emergency alarms and urge citizens to stay indoors.
Enough rice, wheat, sugar, oil and pulses stock, no need to panic: Pralhad Joshi
The government on Friday reiterated that there is no shortage of essential commodities in the country, and citizens are advised not to panic or rush to the markets to purchase food grains.
Indian carriers cancel flights to 24 airports till May 15 as tensions flare up
Indian carriers on Friday announced that flights to 24 airports had been cancelled till May 15, following a notification from aviation authorities on the continued closure of multiple airports in the country.
New low even for Pakistan: India hits out at Islamabad for targetting religious places
As Pakistani troops continued resorting to heavy mortar shelling on the Indian side along the Line of Control (LoC), India on Friday slammed the rogue nation for specifically targetting religious places labelling it as a "new low even for Pakistan".