India’s First Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)

India’s First Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Latest News

India’s first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu is likely to be commissioned next year, marking the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme.

About India’s First Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor

• It is a 500 MWe sodium-cooled reactor located in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.
• The PFBR was developed by BHAVINI (Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited), a government enterprise set up in 2003 under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) to focus on fast breeder reactors.
• Construction began in 2004 and the reactor was originally expected to be completed in September 2010, but faced a series of delays.
• Unlike traditional nuclear reactors, the PFBR uses fast neutrons for energy generation and employs liquid sodium as a coolant instead of water.
• The innovative design enables the reactor to breed more fuel than it consumes, offering a sustainable solution to India’s growing energy demands.
• The PFBR is powered by plutonium and uranium-based mixed oxide fuel (MOX), which ensures high efficiency in power generation.
• Its advanced sodium cooling system allows operation at higher temperatures, enhancing overall efficiency.
• Additionally, the reactor incorporates robust safety features, including a strong containment structure and passive cooling systems that prevent overheating.

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India’s Three-Stage Nuclear Programme

• India has adopted a three-stage nuclear power programme, with the long-term goal of deploying a thorium-based closed nuclear fuel cycle. 
• The first stage involves the use of pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs), fuelled by natural uranium, and light water reactors. 
• The second stage involves reprocessing used fuel from the first stage to recover the plutonium to fuel FBRs. 
• In stage 3, Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWRs) will burn thorium-plutonium fuels and breed fissile uranium-233.

Source: TOI