{"id":96973,"date":"2026-04-07T11:33:46","date_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:03:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/?p=96973"},"modified":"2026-04-07T11:33:46","modified_gmt":"2026-04-07T06:03:46","slug":"kalpakkam-fast-breeder-reactor","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/kalpakkam-fast-breeder-reactor\/","title":{"rendered":"Fast Breeder Reactor and Criticality &#8211; Kalpakkam Nuclear Milestone"},"content":{"rendered":"<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Fast Breeder Reactor Latest News<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam has achieved criticality, marking a key milestone in the nuclear programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>About Fast Breeder Reactor<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) is a type of nuclear reactor that generates more fissile material than it consumes.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Unlike conventional reactors, which use thermal (slow) neutrons, <\/span><b>FBRs use fast neutrons to sustain nuclear fission<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">. This allows efficient utilisation of fuel and enhances energy output.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FBRs typically use plutonium-based fuel, often in the form of Mixed Oxide (MOX), along with fertile materials such as uranium-238. These fertile materials are converted into fissile material (like plutonium-239) during reactor operation.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">A key feature of FBRs is the \u201cbreeding\u201d process. In this process, <\/span><b>non-fissile material is transformed into fissile material through neutron absorption<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, thereby creating additional fuel.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">FBRs are crucial for countries like India that have limited uranium reserves but abundant thorium resources.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They form the second stage of India\u2019s three-stage nuclear programme, enabling the transition toward thorium-based energy systems.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Significance of Fast Breeder Reactors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Fast breeder reactors play a critical role in ensuring long-term energy security.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They significantly improve fuel efficiency by extracting more energy from available uranium resources.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">They also reduce nuclear waste by utilising materials that would otherwise remain unused.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In India\u2019s context, FBRs are essential for converting thorium into uranium-233, which is vital for the third stage of the nuclear programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>Criticality in Nuclear Reactors<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul style=\"text-align: justify;\">\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criticality refers to the<\/span><b> state in which a nuclear reactor achieves a self-sustaining chain reaction<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">At this stage, each fission event produces enough neutrons to sustain further fission reactions without external intervention.<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Criticality is a crucial milestone in reactor commissioning. It indicates that the reactor core is functioning as designed and is ready to move toward power generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">There are three states associated with criticality:<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Subcritical state<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where the reaction dies out over time.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Critical state<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where the reaction is stable and self-sustaining.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><b>Supercritical state<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, where the reaction increases rapidly.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Achieving controlled criticality is essential for the safe and efficient operation of nuclear reactors.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<h2 style=\"text-align: justify;\"><strong>News Summary<\/strong><\/h2>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India\u2019s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu has attained criticality, marking a defining step in the country\u2019s nuclear energy programme.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reactor is located at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research and is operated by <\/span><b>Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> (BHAVINI), a public sector enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The PFBR is a sodium-cooled, pool-type fast breeder reactor that uses <\/span><b>mixed oxide (MOX) fuel<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\"> consisting of uranium-238 and plutonium-239. It is designed to generate more fissile material than it consumes, thereby enhancing fuel sustainability.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Achieving criticality means that the reactor has initiated a self-sustaining nuclear fission chain reaction, indicating readiness for eventual power generation.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The project is a key component of <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/3-stage-nuclear-program\/\" target=\"_blank\">India\u2019s three-stage nuclear programme<\/a><\/strong>.\u00a0<\/span>\n<ul>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the first stage, Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) produce plutonium.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">In the second stage, fast breeder reactors like PFBR use this plutonium to generate additional fissile material.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400;\" aria-level=\"2\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The third stage aims to use thorium to produce uranium-233 for long-term energy security.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">India is now among a select group of countries possessing advanced fast breeder reactor technology, with Russia being the only other nation operating commercial-scale FBRs.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">The reactor also incorporates important safety features such as a <\/span><b>negative void coefficient<\/b><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">, which reduces reaction rates in case of overheating, enhancing operational safety.\u00a0<\/span><\/li>\n<li style=\"font-weight: 400; text-align: justify;\" aria-level=\"1\"><span style=\"font-weight: 400;\">Overall, the achievement of criticality at Kalpakkam marks a significant step toward India\u2019s goal of developing a closed nuclear fuel cycle and reducing dependence on imported uranium.<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><b>Source:<\/b> <strong><a href=\"https:\/\/www.thehindu.com\/news\/national\/proud-moment-modi-on-kalpakkam-fast-breeder-reactor-attaining-criticality\/article70832728.ece\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">TH<\/a> | <a href=\"https:\/\/indianexpress.com\/article\/business\/kalpakkam-fast-breeder-reactor-attains-criticality-defining-step-pm-modi-10622718\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">IE<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Fast Breeder Reactor technology gains attention as India achieves criticality at Kalpakkam, marking progress in its nuclear energy programme.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":21,"featured_media":96980,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[6673,60,22,59],"class_list":{"0":"post-96973","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-upsc-mains-current-affairs","8":"tag-fast-breeder-reactor","9":"tag-mains-articles","10":"tag-upsc-current-affairs","11":"tag-upsc-mains-current-affairs","12":"no-featured-image-padding"},"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96973","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/21"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=96973"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96973\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":96986,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/96973\/revisions\/96986"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/96980"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=96973"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=96973"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/vajiramandravi.com\/current-affairs\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=96973"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}