Use of reprocessed nuke fuel by new reactor will help reduce radioactive waste, say Scientists
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The integrated commissioning of 500 mega watt Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, which uses liquid sodium to cool the reactor, has
begun and the reactor will attain criticality in the next two to three
months, according to Prabhat Kumar, chairman and managing director of
Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
Kumar told Express on Thursday that the sodium is now being heated
below 95 degree Celsius before being transferred from the tank. He
said, “The integrated commissioning of the reactor has started on
Wednesday and we are trying to attain the criticality in the next few
months.”
Interestingly, for this reactor India has chosen the closed fuel cycle
option under which the spent fuel discharged from the reactor is
reprocessed and converted into indigenously developed unique
plutonium-rich mixed carbide fuel. Scientists state that fast breeder
reactors would make effective utilization of depleted uranium
available in the country, and use plutonium as a fuel with significant
reduction in radioactive waste.
Interestingly, construction has resumed to develop Fast Reactor Fuel
Cycle Facility (FRFCF) for recycling the fuel from PFBR, including
fuel fabrication and assembly, reprocessing and waste management.
The FRFCF has got the nod from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on
February and construction of the facility is currently happening, says
P R Vasudeva Rao, director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
(IGCAR).
He said India has several nuclear reprocessing plants which supply
fuel for thermal plants but this would be the only facility that would
reprocess fuel for fast breeder reactors in a large scale. The
facility is likely to be ready by 2017.
Rao said that initially tests were carried on pilot plant called CORAL
(Compact Reprocessing of Advanced fuels in Lead shielded cells,
formerly known as the Lead Mini Cell, LMC). “We learnt reprocessing of
fuel catering to PFBR in the last 10 to 15 years,” he said.
PFBR is also an important milestone for India’s three-stage nuclear
power programme. India has chosen the closed fuel cycle option in view
of its phased expansion of nuclear power generation extending through
the second and third stages, whereby full energy potential of Uranium
and Thorium can be exploited efficiently.
Interestingly, the cost of the reactor has also risen. Scientists
revealed that the price shot up by another Rs 2,100 crore after the
cost was revised to 5,600 crore from the initial cost of Rs 3,500
crore. This is mostly due to the increase in the cost of civil
construction, cost of equipments and commissioning
C Shivakumar
Chennai:
The integrated commissioning of 500 mega watt Prototype Fast Breeder
Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, which uses liquid sodium to cool the reactor, has
begun and the reactor will attain criticality in the next two to three
months, according to Prabhat Kumar, chairman and managing director of
Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI).
Kumar told Express on Thursday that the sodium is now being heated
below 95 degree Celsius before being transferred from the tank. He
said, “The integrated commissioning of the reactor has started on
Wednesday and we are trying to attain the criticality in the next few
months.”
Interestingly, for this reactor India has chosen the closed fuel cycle
option under which the spent fuel discharged from the reactor is
reprocessed and converted into indigenously developed unique
plutonium-rich mixed carbide fuel. Scientists state that fast breeder
reactors would make effective utilization of depleted uranium
available in the country, and use plutonium as a fuel with significant
reduction in radioactive waste.
Interestingly, construction has resumed to develop Fast Reactor Fuel
Cycle Facility (FRFCF) for recycling the fuel from PFBR, including
fuel fabrication and assembly, reprocessing and waste management.
The FRFCF has got the nod from Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on
February and construction of the facility is currently happening, says
P R Vasudeva Rao, director of Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
(IGCAR).
He said India has several nuclear reprocessing plants which supply
fuel for thermal plants but this would be the only facility that would
reprocess fuel for fast breeder reactors in a large scale. The
facility is likely to be ready by 2017.
Rao said that initially tests were carried on pilot plant called CORAL
(Compact Reprocessing of Advanced fuels in Lead shielded cells,
formerly known as the Lead Mini Cell, LMC). “We learnt reprocessing of
fuel catering to PFBR in the last 10 to 15 years,” he said.
PFBR is also an important milestone for India’s three-stage nuclear
power programme. India has chosen the closed fuel cycle option in view
of its phased expansion of nuclear power generation extending through
the second and third stages, whereby full energy potential of Uranium
and Thorium can be exploited efficiently.
Interestingly, the cost of the reactor has also risen. Scientists
revealed that the price shot up by another Rs 2,100 crore after the
cost was revised to 5,600 crore from the initial cost of Rs 3,500
crore. This is mostly due to the increase in the cost of civil
construction, cost of equipments and commissioning
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