Bihar to get its first nuclear power plant as part of National SMR Rollout. Bharat News

The announcement comes before the assembly elections in Bihar and comes after a meeting of Eastern region’s electricity ministers, including representatives of Bihar, West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha and Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

He confirmed that the Center had accepted Bihar’s request for a nuclear plant, saying: “If the Bihar government set up a nuclear power plant, the central government is ready to provide full support.” Khattar said that Bihar had formally requested such facility and the Center would help in its establishment. Details about the site and scale of the plant will be finalized in the upcoming stages of development of the project.

The Union Budget 2025-26 was announced with an allocation of Rs 20,000 crore, the objective of the nuclear power mission is to expand clean and reliable nuclear power across the country and strengthen regional energy security.

The Union Power Minister said, “The government aims to set up at least one nuclear power plant in every state to ensure the country’s energy security,” increases the demand for electricity as the country’s growth rate increases.

Experts say that SMR is a new generation of nuclear technology, designed to be more flexible and cost than traditional mass reactors. They can be deployed in a small grid and are considered safe due to their advanced design.

Khattar also said that the government has prepared a comprehensive power vision for 2035, including thermal, solar, wind, storage and nuclear power projects. This decision is part of a comprehensive policy effort to diversify India’s energy mixture and address the demand for increasing power with advanced nuclear technology.

For Bihar, the project historically represents a significant change of power shortage and infrastructure challenges. Officials say the plant can help provide more stable power supply and support the state’s industrial ambitions.

Along with the nuclear plant, the Center has also approved the 1,000 MW battery storage capacity project in Bihar, aims to increase grid stability and support renewable energy integration. The government will provide the viability interval funding of Rs 18 lakh per megawatt for this initiative.

During his visit to Siwan on 20 June, this focus on battery storage a few days later of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Foundation Stone was placed in Bihar for 500 MW Battery Energy System System (BESS) project.

Union Power Minister Khattar, while announcing SMR, also praised the Bihar government for its recent progress in the power sector, which led to a significant decrease in the establishment of eight million smart meters and a significant decrease in technical and commercial losses.

He said, “Bihar was lagging behind in the power sector, but it has done a very good job.” The Union Minister further assured that, in the recognition of these reforms, the Center has agreed to supply Bihar with an additional 500 MW electricity for the next six months to help meet the demand for peak summer, and that the states facing electricity will be provided with adequate supply from the central quota.