India’s Net-Zero Path: Nuclear Power and Low-Carbon Hydrogen
Why in the news
A policy discussion argued that India’s net-zero goal calls for huge electricity growth, a larger nuclear role, and smarter use of hydrogen to balance the grid.
Key facts
- Fossil fuels give industry heat and raw material: carbon from coal for steelmaking, hydrogen from natural gas for fertiliser ammonia.
- Solar, wind and hydro alone will not do; nuclear must be central. Target: 100 GW by 2047.
- NPCIL’s PHWR programme: 700 MW units running in Gujarat and Rajasthan; more planned in Haryana and elsewhere from 20 new reactors.
- Bharat Small Reactors (220 MW) for captive use; India can make all PHWR components domestically.
Grid balancing
| Source | Nature | Issue |
|---|---|---|
| Nuclear | Base load | Flexing is costly and technically hard; load-following tech not yet scalable |
| Solar and wind | Intermittent | Need balancing; coal plants are flexed today |
| Electrolysers | Run on surplus power | Hydrogen goes straight to industry, not back to power |
Hydrogen approach
- Avoids flexing base load plants and reduces storage dependence.
- Improves system economics using mature technology.
- Hydrogen production and battery storage should be planned together, since combined systems cost less.
Policy recommendations
- Redefine green hydrogen as low-carbon hydrogen, based on an emissions threshold, so nuclear hydrogen, with life-cycle emissions comparable to renewables, qualifies.
- Integrate hydrogen with storage in planning for efficiency and grid resilience.
Exam angle
- Nuclear target: 100 GW by 2047.
- Terms: PHWR, NPCIL, base load, electrolyser, Bharat Small Reactors.