U.S. nuclear industry prepares joint response to India's new atomic energy rules

The U.S. nuclear industry is preparing a joint submission to India's Department of Atomic Energy before the September 4 deadline for comments on draft rules implementing the SHANTI Act, which has unlocked atomic energy for private companies.

The U.S.-India Strategic Partnership Forum (USISPF) is coordinating the comprehensive industry response after hosting discussions Thursday with legal experts in India and the Washington-based Nuclear Energy Institute. The forum, which brought American nuclear industry representatives to India earlier this year to assess civil nuclear opportunities, also briefed its Nuclear Industry Committee virtually on the draft regulations.

Industry Scrutinises Licensing and Liability Framework

The virtual session gathered senior leaders from across the nuclear value chain to examine key provisions of the draft SHANTI rules and regulations, their implications for private sector entry, licensing requirements, liability structures, and project frameworks. Suhaan Mukerji of Delhi's PLR Chambers and Ted Jones, Senior Director for National Security and International Programmes at Nuclear Energy Institute, addressed the briefing, according to USISPF.

The Department of Atomic Energy released the draft rules and regulations last week, marking the first detailed steps India has taken to admit private players into the nuclear sector. The framework lays down licensing, insurance and approval procedures while keeping sensitive activities under government control.

Private Participation to Support 100 GW Target

The SHANTI Act permits private companies and joint ventures to build, own and operate nuclear plants, undertake decommissioning, and conduct nuclear research and development. Private entities can also manufacture nuclear fuel and deploy ionising radiation for non-electricity applications including medicines and agriculture.

India has set a target to generate 100 gigawatts of nuclear power by 2047 and establish at least five indigenous Small Modular Reactors—advanced nuclear fission plants capable of producing up to 300 megawatts each—by 2033.

Source: The Hindu