INDIA ATTAINS SELF-SUFFICIENCY
IN PRESSURISED HEAVY WATER
REACTORS TECHNOLOGY
India
is now fully self-sufficient in all aspects of pressurised heavy
water reactors (PHWRs) technology. As the country gains experience
and masters various aspects of nuclear technology, the performance
of our plants is also improving steadily. The Chairman, Atomic
Energy Commission, Dr. Anil Kakodkar, said this in an interview
with New Delhi-based PIB Special Services. Talking in Mumbai he
revealed that the average capacity of India’s atomic plants went
up from 60 per cent in 1995-96 to 90 per cent in 2002-03. The
country’s nuclear power plants have so far produced 200 billion
units of power. We have accumulated about 200 reactor-years operational
experience. There has been no serious incident of any radioactivity
leakage in the environment so far, he emphasised.
Dr. Kakodkar
said the fast breeder test reactor set up at Kakpakkam in Tamil
Nadu has achieved all its technology objectives. This reactor
operates with indigenously developed mixed uranium – plutonium
carbide fuel. Based on the experience gained with this reactor
and with the active co-operation of academia and industry, detailed
design and technology development of the 500 MW Prototype Fast
Breeder Reactor has been completed. The pre-project activities
for this endeavour have already begun at Kalpakkam. Overall, India
plans to have an installed nuclear capacity of about 20,000 MW
by 2020, the AEC Chairman added.
