India’s Fusion Power Roadmap by IPR Gandhinagar

Context

The Institute for Plasma Research (IPR), Gandhinagar, has proposed a roadmap for India to achieve fusion power. This comes as fusion energy is emerging globally as a potential clean and limitless source of energy, similar to the process that powers the sun and stars.

India is already a member of the International Thermonuclear Experimental Reactor (ITER) project, which is building a fusion reactor in France.

Background

• Fusion vs. Fission:
  • Fission: Splitting heavy atoms (like uranium) to release energy.
    Example: Nuclear power plants.
  • Fusion: Combining light atoms (like hydrogen isotopes) under extreme conditions to form heavier atoms, releasing massive energy — the process that powers stars and the sun.
• Why Fusion Matters:
  • Produces no greenhouse gases.
  • Minimal radioactive waste compared to fission.
  • Potential for virtually unlimited clean energy.

Key Proposal by IPR Gandhinagar

• Development of India’s first fusion electricity generator:
  • Named Steady-state Superconducting Tokamak-Advanced SRF Hybrid (SST-RH).
  • Will function as a fusion-fission hybrid reactor:
    • 100 MW from fusion.
    • 130 MW from fission, totaling 230 MW.
  • Estimated cost: ₹25,000 crore.
• Timeline:
  • Full-scale demonstration by 2040.
  • Future goal to reach 2,500 MW capacity.

Global Milestones

• In February 2025, the WEST Tokamak in France maintained plasma for 22 minutes, a significant record in magnetic confinement fusion research.
• ITER Project (France):
  • Involves 35 nations, including India.
  • Goal: Sustain 150 million degrees Celsius plasma for continuous fusion reaction.

Challenges Highlighted

1. Technical Barriers:
   • Maintaining plasma stability.
   • Handling high-temperature materials.
   • Achieving continuous magnetic confinement.
2. Economic Challenges:
   • Currently expensive and not commercially viable.
   • High initial research and development (R&D) costs.
3. Timeline Uncertainty:
   • Fusion power plants are unlikely to be in widespread use before 2040–2050.

Significance for India

• Energy Security:
  • Reduces dependence on fossil fuels and imports.
  • Aligns with India’s Net Zero by 2070 target.
• Strategic Leadership:
  • India’s participation in ITER positions it as a global leader in next-gen clean energy.
• Innovation Ecosystem:

Encourages development in AI, plasma physics, material science, and high-temperature engineering.