Prime Minister Narendra Modi on 4 March 2024 witnessed the commencement of “Core Loading” at India’s first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) (500 MWe) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
- The FBR core consists of control sub-assemblies, blanket subassemblies and fuel sub-assemblies. 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.
- PFBR has been fully designed and constructed indigenously by BHAVINI with significant contribution 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.
Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)
- The PFBR is a machine that produces more nuclear fuel than it consumes.
- India has a three stages Nuclear power programme.
- In the first, India used pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) and natural uranium-238 (U-238), which contains minuscule amounts of U-235, as the fissile material.
- FBR-the second stage is entrusted with a mandate to construct, commission and operate the Fast Breeder Reactors to provide energy security for the nation in the long run.
- The PFBR is an advanced third generation reactor with inherent passive safety features ensuring a prompt and safe shut down of the plant in the event of an emergency.
- Since it uses the spent fuel from the first stage, it also offers great advantage in terms of significant reduction in nuclear waste generated, thereby avoiding the need for large geological disposal facilities.
Nuclear fission
- In nuclear fission, the nucleus of an atom absorbs a neutron, destabilises, and breaks into two while releasing some energy. If the destabilised nucleus releases more neutrons, the reactor’s facilities will attempt to use them to instigate more fission reactions.
- PHWRs use natural or low-enriched U-238 as the fissile material and produce Pu-239 as a byproduct.
- This Pu-239 is combined with more U-238 into a mixed oxide and loaded into the core of a new reactor together with a blanket. This is a material the fission products in the core react with to produce more Pu-239.
- A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes. In a ‘fast’ breeder reactor, the neutrons aren’t slowed, allowing them to trigger specific fission reactions.
- The PFBR is designed to produce more Pu-239 than it consumes. It uses liquid sodium as coolant in two circuits.
Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam, Ltd. (BHAVINI)
- The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) set up a special-purpose vehicle in 2003 called Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam, Ltd. (BHAVINI) to implement stage II.
