The Hindu Business Line : New co to handle fast breeder reactor programme

A SEPARATE company has been set up to take care of the country's fast breed reactor (FBR) programme and the ongoing work of the 500-MW prototype at Kalpakkam has already been brought under its purview.

Dr Anil Kakodkar, Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission, and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), told Business Line here that the new company has been christened Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (Bhavini).

Dr S.K. Jain, Chairman and Managing Director, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), will hold dual capacity as the Chairman and Managing Director for Bhavini.

The prototype with 500-MW capacity will be the forerunner to the commercialised FBR programme under which a series of reactors will be set up. "When we have built up a sufficient number, we'll introduce thorium fuel. And from that point, we'll start deploying thorium reactors," Dr Kakodkar said, explaining the sequential three-stage nuclear programme.

Thorium occupies an important place as an energy resource of the country. "We've been working on thorium-based technologies right from the beginning. But, we had to be mindful of the sequence in which we exploited these resources. We now have a small reactor operating at Kalpakkam which runs on uranium 233, a thorium derivative."

This sequence demanded to go in for thermal reactors first. The pressurised heavy water reactors that NPCIL is building around the country are all thermal reactors. "This represents the first stage. In the second stage, we would use the spent fuel that comes out of thermal reactors and extract fissile material for use in FBRs. The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) has carried out the technology development for FBR and has been operating a test reactor for a long time now," Dr Kakodkar said.

However, purely as part of technology development effort, the DAE is already working on a 300-MW advanced heavy water reactor (AHWR). "We should be in a position to take decision about its construction sometime towards the end of this year or early next year. This reactor would generate a large part of the energy from thorium fuel," he added.

On attempts to rope in French assistance for the future n-programme, Dr Kakodkar said the DAE is discussing with whomsoever willing to do commercial business with it.

"It's only contextual that we're discussing with the French. But there are some issues of international politics to contend with. It'll be a little while before we exactly know the outcome of these discussions," he said.

On any attitudinal change in the Nuclear Supply Group of countries with the US making what is perceived to be the right kind of noise in recent times, he said any favourable step in this direction would be welcome.