Scientists in India are moving forward with the development of nuclear reactors that could one day power commercial ships.
According to Business Standard, researchers at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre have begun work on two such reactors. The country already operates two nuclear-powered submarines, and the new reactors are expected to expand nuclear's role in India's overall energy mix.
Fission energy is created when atoms are split, releasing energy by way of heat. As the United States Department of Energy has described: "The energy released by fission in these [nuclear] reactors heats water into steam. The steam is used to spin a turbine to produce carbon-free electricity."
The new reactors in India are being designed to generate 55 megawatts and 200 megawatts, respectively, and "could be deployed at captive power plants used by energy-intensive companies such as cement manufacturers," the Business Standard described.
A senior official said, per the news outlet, "You can put the reactor wherever you want, even on a ship," going on to say that the reactors could "even be used to power merchant navy ships."
Ukraine and the U.S are among the other countries attempting to expand their nuclear options in hopes of diversifying their energy mixes — a step in moving away from the overreliance on dirty fossil fuels and a potential solution to the energy demands of new data centers.
Major concerns with nuclear power generally come down to safety issues related to the production of radioactive waste and the potential link to the proliferation of nuclear weapons. These concerns are certainly fair, but if they can be reliably and comprehensively addressed through scientific progress and policy safeguards, there could be benefits to adding a cleaner, more sustainable source to the menu of energy options.
With nuclear developments underway in India, changes to the country's Atomic Energy Act of 1962 are anticipated, allowing private-sector involvement in nuclear power plants.
According to Business Standard, the advancements are aimed at contributing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's 2047 goal of achieving 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity. For comparison, as of February, the U.S. is working with approximately 97 GW, the most in the world, followed by France with 63 GW.
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