CHENNAI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi who will be in Tamil Nadu for around four hours on Monday will witness the initiation of core loading of India’s indigenous prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) of 500 MW capacity in Kalpakkam. This PFBR has been developed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited.
A release said the core loading of PFBR in Kalpakkam marks a historic milestone in India’s nuclear power programme. With minimised nuclear waste generated from the reactor and advanced safety features, FBRs will provide a safe, efficient and clean source of energy and contribute to the goal of net zero. This is an important step for India towards thorium utilisation in the third stage of the nuclear power programme. Once commissioned, India will be the second country after Russia to have a commercially operating fast reactor.
The reactor core consists of control subassemblies, blanket subassemblies and fuel subassemblies. The core loading activity consists of the loading of reactor control subassemblies, followed by the blanket subassemblies and the fuel sub-assemblies which will generate power.
“India has adopted a three-stage nuclear power programme with a closed fuel cycle. In the PFBR, marking the second stage of the programme, spent fuel from the first stage is reprocessed and used as fuel in FBR. A unique feature of this sodium-cooled PFBR is that it can produce more fuel than it consumes, helping in achieving self-reliance in fuel supply for future fast reactors,” the release added.
Meanwhile, a few political parties and an NGO have opposed the atomic project in Kalpakkam. Referring to the reports that the Prime Minister might commission the process for PFBR attaining criticality, MDMK general secretary Vaiko said the union government has been ignoring demands for relief assistance to rain-hit areas and generously imposing dangerous atomic projects on Tamil Nadu. Vaiko urged the Tamil Nadu government to take steps to stop this project.
Manithaneya Makkal Katchi president MH Jawahirullah, in a statement here, said if this news is true, then it would be a dangerous project for Tamil Nadu. Already countries like the United States, Japan, and European countries have abandoned this type of atomic breeders as they found it unsafe.
Jawahirullah said on January 2, “Modi dedicated the Rs 400 crore demonstration fast reactor fuel reprocessing plant to the nation. Already, the government has laid many restrictions on buying and selling land in 14 villages around Kalpakkam based on the Nuclear Installation Local Authority. People of Tamil Nadu should oppose this project unitedly, he said adding that the Centre had given up atomic projects in BJP-ruled states while treating the Tamils as laboratory rats.”
Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental NGO, strongly opposed the project and said that despite opposition from the people, the Centre has been imposing more atomic projects. Thirumurgan Gandhi of May 17 Movement also condemned the Modi government for imposing a project rejected by western countries on Tamils.