India's nuclear shift: HCC plans move into light water reactors

The Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), a key engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) player in nuclear infrastructure, is looking to venture into light water reactors (LWRs) as part of India’s nuclear energy road map.

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The move comes as the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) is working to expedite the fabrication of an Indian LWR as a key priority.

LWRs are the most common reactors globally, while India has dominance of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR). LWRs are thermal reactors in which light water (ordinary water) is used as a moderator as well as the reactor coolant, while PHWRs use a reactor pressure vessel (RPV) to contain the nuclear fuel, moderator, control rods, and coolant.

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Having delivered more than 65% of the country’s nuclear power plants, HCC says that LWRs will help meet the government’s plan of adding almost 100 GW of nuclear power by 2047.

The company says that a huge nuclear programme will unfold over the next 10 to 12 years, and it is well poised to make the most of that. HCC has been the biggest EPC player in the sector, having built 14 of India’s 24 nuclear reactors.

The company is seeing a lot of interest from private entities for collaboration since the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, was passed. The law allows private sector participation in the nuclear sector. 

According to media reports, the DAE is looking to accelerate work on the 900 MWe LWR, whose design phase began in 2015. Officials cited in reports said that the availability of a homegrown LWR, alongside India’s established fleet of PHWRs, would strengthen the country’s negotiating position with foreign reactor suppliers and help secure more favourable import terms.

India has a nuclear power capacity of 8.78 GW and is expected to reach about 22 GW by 2031-32. “Another 32 GW of nuclear power capacity is envisaged to be set up beyond 2032 by NPCIL, comprising indigenous PHWR and LWR by 2047, taking the capacity to about 54 GW,” Jitender Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, informed the Lok Sabha during the Budget session.

As per the road map, the remaining 46 GW is expected to be set up by other public sector enterprises (central and state), state governments, the private sector, and joint ventures.