Thorium Energy & SHANTI Act Future

Thorium Energy and SHANTI Act Boost Nuclear Future

Why in the News ?

The SHANTI Act, 2025 aims to expand India’s nuclear energy sector and accelerate the use of thorium-based reactors, which could strengthen energy security and reduce dependence on imported uranium, supporting the government’s goal of achieving 100 GWe nuclear capacity by 2047.

Thorium Energy & SHANTI Act Future

SHANTI Act and India’s Nuclear Energy Expansion:

  • The SHANTI Act, 2025 is expected to transform India’s atomic energy ecosystem by encouraging participation from private sector, academia, and industry.
  • The legislation seeks to support India’s ambitious “100 GWe nuclear energy mission by 2047”, significantly expanding nuclear power generation capacity.
  • Currently, India’s nuclear programme relies heavily on uranium-based reactors, requiring substantial imports of natural and enriched uranium.
  • Domestic uranium reserves in India are limited and low-grade, making extraction expensive and raising concerns about long-term fuel supply security.
  • Expanding nuclear capacity through thorium-based technologies could reduce reliance on imported uranium and enhance energy independence.

Role of Thorium and Advanced Reactor Technologies

  • India possesses the world’s largest thorium reserves, mainly found in monazite sands along the coastal regions, especially in Kerala and Odisha.
  • Thorium-based fuel cycles can potentially increase the energy output of nuclear fuel by 50–100 times through recycling technologies.
  • India’s three-stage nuclear power programme envisions Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) as a bridge to large-scale thorium utilisation.
  • The 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is nearing completion and will play a key role in producing uranium-233 from thorium for future reactors.
  • Emerging technologies such as Thorium Molten Salt Reactors (TMSR) and Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) are being explored to enable safer, flexible, and efficient nuclear power generation.

About India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Programme:

●      India’s nuclear energy strategy is based on the three-stage nuclear power programme, designed by Homi J. Bhabha to utilise the country’s limited uranium and abundant thorium resources.

●      Stage 1: Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) use natural uranium to generate electricity and produce plutonium as a by-product.

●      Stage 2: Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) use plutonium-based fuel to generate power while producing more fissile material, including uranium-233 from thorium.

●      Stage 3: Advanced thorium reactors will use uranium-233 and thorium fuel cycles to provide long-term sustainable nuclear energy.

●      Successful implementation of this programme could enable large-scale, low-carbon energy generation and reduce proliferation risks, strengthening India’s long-term energy security.