New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) A 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Chennai has successfully attained first criticality (the start of controlled fission chain reaction), marking a historic step in providing long-term energy security and advancing indigenous nuclear technology capabilities, officials said on Tuesday.
The criticality was achieved after meeting all the stipulations of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which had issued a clearance after a rigorous review of the safety of the plant systems.
The technology development and design of the PFBR was indigenously done by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), a research-and-development centre of the Department of Atomic Energy, and was built and commissioned by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), a public sector undertaking (PSU) under the Department of Atomic Energy.
Fast breeder reactors are a cornerstone of India’s long-term nuclear strategy. Unlike conventional thermal reactors, the PFBR uses Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel.
“The core of PFBR is surrounded by a blanket of Uranium-238. Fast neutrons convert fertile Uranium-238 into fissile Plutonium-239, enabling the reactor to produce more fuel than it consumes. The reactor is designed to eventually use Thorium-232 in the blanket. Through transmutation, Thorium-232 will be converted into Uranium-233, which will fuel the third stage of India’s nuclear power programme,” an official statement said.
“This unique capability significantly enhances the utilisation of nuclear fuel resources and enables the country to extract far greater energy from its limited uranium reserves while also preparing for large-scale use of thorium in the future,” it added.
The statement noted that with the achievement of first criticality, India moves closer to realising the full potential of its three-stage nuclear power programme.
“Fast breeder technology forms the vital bridge between the current fleet of pressurised heavy water reactors and the future deployment of thorium-based reactors, leveraging the country’s abundant thorium resources for long-term clean energy generation.
“Achieving this milestone demonstrates the strength of India’s indigenous design, engineering and manufacturing ecosystem. The reactor incorporates advanced safety systems, high-temperature liquid sodium coolant technology and a closed fuel cycle approach that enables recycling of nuclear materials, thereby improving sustainability and reducing waste,” it said. PTI GJS RC
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