C Shivakumar
Chennai:
India may have to wait longer for its 500 Mega Watt Prototype Fast
Breeder Reactor in Kalpakkam to attain criticality as scientists are
working on minor system adjustments.
Chairman and managing director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam
Limited (BHAVINI) told Express that the reactor which was supposed to
attain criticality on September will have to wait for another two to
three months.
While he did not provide adequate details on why it was taking longer
for the reactor to attain criticality but he did say that it is due to
some minor system adjustments in commissioning.
“We could not maintain the same speed as had been maintaining due to
system parameters. We want to ensure zero defect to start with. We
don’t want to have anything for future rectification,” Kumar said.
However, he said integrated commissioning of PFBR, which uses liquid
sodium to cool the reactor, is still on.
Kumar also ruled out that there is any issue with the availability of
fuel for the reactor. “We do have enough fuel,” he said.
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.
When the PFBR goes critical, India will have entered the second phase
of a three-stage nuclear programme, the visionary plan for which was
laid as far back as 1958 by Homi Jehangir Bhabha, the Father of the
Indian nuclear programme.
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