INDIA SET TO ENTER FAST BREEDER REACTOR ERA SOON

---

India is all set to enter the second stage, i.e., the setting up of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) for power generation. This stage is based on plutonium fueled reactors with depleted uranium as the blanket. The first prototype FBR to come up at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu will have a capacity of 500 MW, which will be added to the Southern Grid.

Of the three stage Indian nuclear power programme, the first stage of construction of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) has already reached the level of maturity, with 14 reactors currently under operation with a total capacity of 2720 MWs. Eight more reactors under various stages of construction, the largest number under construction in any country at present, will add 3960 MWs to take the total capacity to 6680 MWs by 2008.

The indigenous mixed uranium-plutonium carbide core of the Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam, in operation since 1985 recently reached a burn up of 100,000 MW day per tonne without a single fuel failure. This has now paved the way for the setting up of the first 500 MW prototype FBR soon.

The third stage comprises, construction of reactors to exploit the vast thorium reserves, the largest in the world. For this, development of Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR), is underway as part of India’s efforts to evolve an innovative reactor system as well as exploit the thorium resources for energy production. KAMINI, the test reactor at Kalpakkam has successfully used Uranium-233, separated from irradiated thorium, under the Thorium utilisation programme.