Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday witnessed commencement of “core loading” at India’s first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (500 MWe) at Kalpakkam, situated about 70 km from here.
He also took a tour of the reactor vault and the control room of the reactor and was briefed about its salient features.
India has developed comprehensive capabilities spanning the entire spectrum of the nuclear fuel cycle. The government had approved in 2003, the creation of Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd., (BHAVINI) to construct and operate India’s most advanced nuclear reactor-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), according to a statement.
The PFBR has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI with significant contributions from more than 200 Indian industries including MSMEs. Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercial operating Fast Breeder Reactor, it added.
In terms of safety, the PFBR is an advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features ensuring prompt and safe shutdown of the plant in the event of emergency, the official statement said.
Since it uses the spent fuel from the first stage, FBR also offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities, it added.
Upon completion of the core loading, the first approach to criticality will be achieved, leading to generation of power subsequently. Despite the advanced technology involved, both the capital cost and the per unit electricity cost is comparable to other nuclear and conventional power plants, the statement said.
The growth of the Indian nuclear power programme is imperative to meet the twin goals of energy security and sustainable development. As a responsible nuclear power with advanced technology, India remains committed to expand peaceful applications of nuclear technology, both in power and non-power sector, while ensuring the security of nuclear and radiological materials, it added.
