Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited India's indigenous prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu where a key procedure regarding power generation commenced on Monday, which the government described as 'historic'.
The commencement of 'core loading' of the PFBR at Kalpakkam, located about 60 km from Chennai, took place in the presence of the PM.
PM Modi took a tour of the reactor vault and control room of the reactor. He was briefed about its salient features.
This 500 MWe fast breeder reactor has been developed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) with contribution from more than 200 Indian industries including MSMEs.
Once commissioned, India will be the second country after Russia to have a commercially operating fast breeder reactor.
Many countries, including the US, Japan and France, have tried developing fast breeder reactors and have given up due to repeated failure to safely handle liquid sodium.
The reactor core consists of control sub-assemblies, blanket sub-assemblies and fuel sub-assemblies.
The core loading activity consists of loading of reactor control sub-assemblies, followed by the blanket sub-assemblies and the fuel sub-assemblies which will generate power.
The reactor will initially use the Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel. The Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core will undergo nuclear transmutation to produce more fuel, thus earning the name ‘breeder’.
In terms of safety, PFBR is an advanced third-generation reactor with inherent passive safety features ensuring a prompt and safe shutdown of the plant in the event of an emergency.
Since it uses the spent fuel from the first stage, PFBR also offers a great advantage in terms of a significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities.
National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman A K Mohanty, Bhabha Atomic Research Center Director Vivek Bhasin and Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research Director B Venkataraman accompanied the PM on the tour of the reactor.
