Fast breeder reactors to play key role in long-term energy security, Pg15

Key Highlights:

• India's first indigenous Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) at Kalpakkam has achieved criticality, marking a significant step for long-term energy security.
• Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) aims to increase nuclear power capacity to 22 GWe by 2031-32 and 54 GWe by 2047.
• Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) will remain crucial until FBR technology matures.
• NPCIL will support private sector entry into nuclear power through technology transfer, project development, and design assistance.

Detailed Insights:

• India's nuclear program follows a three-stage approach: PHWRs using natural uranium, FBRs using plutonium from PHWRs, and advanced reactors using Thorium-232.
• FBRs use plutonium and depleted uranium to breed more fuel, converting Thorium-232 into Uranium-233 for advanced reactors, ensuring fuel independence.
• While the world uses Pressurized Water Reactors (PWRs) or Light Water Reactors (LWRs) with enriched uranium, India focused on PHWRs due to limited uranium and abundant thorium reserves.
• NPCIL has mastered 700 MWe PHWR technology with three units operating successfully and also operates PWRs of 1,000 MWe capacity at Kudankulam with Russian technology.
• NPCIL envisions playing a "motherly role" by offering expertise in site selection, design, engineering, construction, operation, waste management and quality assurance to private players.
• The 1-2-3 agreement improved fuel supply and capacity factors, and with land acquired and technology frozen for 700 MWe units, the sector is poised for growth.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR): A reactor that breeds more fissile material than it consumes while generating power.
• Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR): A nuclear reactor that uses heavy water as its coolant and moderator and natural uranium as fuel.
• Thorium-232: A fertile material that can be converted into fissile Uranium-233 in a nuclear reactor.

FBR vs PHWR