CHENNAI: The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) on Tuesday said it has granted permission for the ‘First Approach to Criticality’ of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, which is India’s first indigenous PFBR. This critical milestone includes loading of fuel into the reactor core and the initiation of ‘Low Power Physics Experiments’.
The decision was taken at the board meeting of AERB held at Kalpakkam on July 27. The approval follows a review process, which included phased core loading activities. Earlier this year, the core loading began with the insertion of control sub-assemblies and blanket sub-assemblies, all conducted under the stringent oversight of AERB. Prime Minister Narendra Modi witnessed the commencement of core loading at Kalpakkam on March 4 this year.
AERB has been carrying out extensive safety reviews and assessments through a multi-tier safety review mechanism, supplemented by regular inspections and overseen by a resident site observer team, a press release said.
“In the final stage, fuel sub-assemblies would be loaded in the core of the reactor following which the nuclear fission process will commence. On the attainment of sustained nuclear fission chain reaction, a phenomenon known as the criticality of the reactor, various low-power physics experiments would be conducted. This permission marks a significant step towards operationalisation of the PFBR,” said AP Garg, director of the Directorate of Regulatory Affairs and External Relations, AERB.
The 500 MWe sodium-cooled Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, commissioned by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), signifies a crucial step in advancing the country’s nuclear energy capabilities.