Fuel loading of fast breeder reactor initiated

India’s indigenous 500 Mwe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) is now ready. The reactor has been constructed in the nuclear complex at Kalpakkam, about 70 km south of Chennai. The Prime Minister was himself there to witness the commencement of te fuel loading.

The initiation of the core loading of PFBR, developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited), marks a “historic milestone in India’s nuclear power program”.

The power generation by PFBR will kick start the second stage of the three-stage nuclear power program of the country with a “closed fuel cycle”. The spent fuel from the first stage would be “reprocessed and used as fuel” in FBR. A unique feature of this sodium cooled PFBR is that it can produce more fuel than it consumes, thus helping in achieving self-reliance in fuel supply for future fast reactors.

With minimised nuclear waste generated from the reactor and advanced safety features, the FBRs would provide a safe, efficient and clean source of energy and contribute to the goal of net zero, saud a Press release.

This is an important step for India towards thorium utilisation in the third stage of the nuclear power program. Once the PFBR is commissioned, India will become the second country after Russia to have a commercial operating Fast Reactor.