India Civil Nuclear Program

[Nilgiri]

Did a quick research on PHWR as its stands today in the world.

Only India is actively building (5 x 630MW) and planning more (8 x 630 MW) reactors of this design type (PHWR).... with the current series known as IPHWR-700.

Romania has 2 planned, but these are restarting unfinished projects ordered from Canada (CANDU-6) in thee 1980s, they operate 2.

============================================================================================================


Operational MW (reactor number)
Building MW (number)
Planned MW (number)
Shutdown MW (number)

Roughly:


Argentina:

O: 1600 MW (3)


Canada:

O: 15000 MW (19)
S: 1850 MW (6)


China:

O: 1350 MW (2)


Germany:
S: 50 MW (1)


India:

O: 5700 MW (19)
B: 3150 MW (5)
P: 5000 MW (8)


Pakistan

S: 90 MW (1)


Romania:

O: 1300 MW (2)
P: 1300 MW (2)


South Korea:

O: 2000 MW (3)
S: 657 MW (1)


Sweden:
S: 10 MW (1)


USA:

S: 17 MW (1)

 

[Zapper]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1836324586729988504

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1884992507635019827

'20x hotter': How India quietly built a Sun in the shadow of China’s record plasma feat

India’s SST-1 Tokamak achieves plasma 20x hotter than the Sun, marking a leap in fusion technology and rivaling China’s EAST reactor. ITER collaboration boosts India’s global role.

www.businesstoday.in

 

[Nilgiri]

India’s quest for sustainable energy through its own ‘artificial sun’

India has emerged as a key player in the global pursuit of sustainable energy through nuclear fusion technology. A significant milestone in this field has been achieved with the Steady State Superconducting Tokamak-1 (SST-1), which has been operational since 2013. The SST-1 has successfully...

myind.net

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1884992830374101487

 

[Nilgiri]

India completes design of Bharat SMR - Nuclear Engineering International

The “concept design” stage of India’s planned Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR) has been completed and is in the process…

www.neimagazine.com

India Pushes Ahead With Plans To Open Up Nuclear Sector, Deploy More Reactors

New body will focus on research and development of SMRs

www.nucnet.org

 

[Nilgiri]

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/1906231820469039475

https://www.business-standard.com/external-affairs-defence-security/news/us-india-nuclear-energy-holtec-tata-consulting-engineers-larsen-toubro-smr-125033000130_1.html

 

[Nilgiri]

It looks like they will first operate and verify everything with U-238 --> Pu-239 breeding before moving onto Th-232 ----> U-233 (the long term objective as set out by Homi Bhaba back in the 1950s.)

============


"The 500 Mwe-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam is expected to achieve first criticality within six months, marking a key step towards India’s energy independence.

With fuel-loading nearly complete, India is on track to become the second country after Russia to operate a fast breeder reactor.


The PFBR in Kalpakkam began receiving fuel on 18 October after the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted permission this month."

Fast breeder reactor gives India a strategic edge — and a step closer to nuclear self-reliance

Fuel-loading for Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor in TN's Kalpakkam began on 18 October. Officials expect it to achieve first criticality in six months.

theprint.in

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/kalpakkam-indias-most-sophisticated-atomic-reactor-set-for-fuel-loading-after-long-road-of-repairs-9448903

 

[Nilgiri]

Press Trust Of India

www.ptinews.com

India developing 3 types of small modular reactors, govt tells Lok Sabha

India is developing three types of small modular reactors (SMRs), including a 5 MWth high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for hydrogen generation. The 220 MWe BSMR-200 and 55 MWe SMRs will be constructed at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station site in Maharashtra. The BSMR-200 is expected to take...

economictimes.indiatimes.com

 

[TR_123456]

Press Trust Of India

www.ptinews.com

India developing 3 types of small modular reactors, govt tells Lok Sabha

India is developing three types of small modular reactors (SMRs), including a 5 MWth high-temperature gas-cooled reactor for hydrogen generation. The 220 MWe BSMR-200 and 55 MWe SMRs will be constructed at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station site in Maharashtra. The BSMR-200 is expected to take...

economictimes.indiatimes.com

No news on the Thorium reactor?

 

[Nilgiri]

No news on the Thorium reactor?

The 1st large one is the PFBR - prototype fast breeder reactor ( incorporating what is learned from the smaller two test reactors: KAMINI and FBTR).

Earlier last year they said it will achieve criticality around this month (March 2026) and start operations later in september this year

India's Nuclear Plans: Fast Breeder Reactor by 2026, 5 Small Modular Reactors by 2033

India’s Department of Atomic Energy outlines plans to complete the 500 MW fast breeder reactor by 2026 and construct five small modular reactors by 2033 to meet growing energy demands.

www.deccanherald.com

Maybe it is delayed somewhat further, we have to see.

This is the 2nd stage of 3 stage program, i.e producing comprehensive steady amount of U-233 from Th-232.

The 3rd stage will be the AHWR (advanced heavy water) reactor, that will be constructed later pending what is learned from producing U-233 in the PFBR. That's the one that will actually use the surplus U-233 produced by the PFBR.

 

[Gessler]

With this, there are now 3 tokamaks active in India:

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2019784333158973565

Refer to this post going over the other 2 already operational ones, namely Aditya-U (originally from 80s but later upgraded) and the larger SST-1:

Civil Nuclear Program

Kudos to you both @Gessler @Gautam . Earlier thread with some previous info (I go into neutron economy and related): https://defencehub.live/threads/indian-civil-nuclear-program.1160/ I might archive this there too over time. =========================== Yes PFBR is facing big challenges...

defencehub.live

 

[Gessler]

Bangalore-based start up Pranos Fusion has received ~$7 Mn in PE capital, they expect that their PRAGYA (medium-scale testing tokamak) prototype is now funded. Once it's commissioned, it would only be the 4th tokamak in the country, and the first privately-built one!

Pranos Nets $6.8 Mn To Build Tokamak, Superconducting Magnets For Nuclear Fusion

Nuclear energy startup Pranos has raised $6.8 Mn in its fresh funding round co-led by pi Ventures and Ankur Capital

inc42.com

 

[Nilgiri]

The 1st large one is the PFBR - prototype fast breeder reactor ( incorporating what is learned from the smaller two test reactors: KAMINI and FBTR).

Earlier last year they said it will achieve criticality around this month (March 2026) and start operations later in september this year

India's Nuclear Plans: Fast Breeder Reactor by 2026, 5 Small Modular Reactors by 2033

India’s Department of Atomic Energy outlines plans to complete the 500 MW fast breeder reactor by 2026 and construct five small modular reactors by 2033 to meet growing energy demands.

www.deccanherald.com

Maybe it is delayed somewhat further, we have to see.

This is the 2nd stage of 3 stage program, i.e producing comprehensive steady amount of U-233 from Th-232.

The 3rd stage will be the AHWR (advanced heavy water) reactor, that will be constructed later pending what is learned from producing U-233 in the PFBR. That's the one that will actually use the surplus U-233 produced by the PFBR.

India's first 500 MWe fast breeder reactor achieves criticality

India's first 500 MWe fast breeder reactor reaches criticality, signaling progress in domestic nuclear engineering and fuel generation.

interestingengineering.com

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-most-advanced-atomic-reactor-prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-pfbr-at-kalpakkam-in-tamil-nadu-reaches-milestone-attains-criticality-11320590

 

[Gessler]

India's first 500 MWe fast breeder reactor achieves criticality

India's first 500 MWe fast breeder reactor reaches criticality, signaling progress in domestic nuclear engineering and fuel generation.

interestingengineering.com

https://www.ndtv.com/india-news/indias-most-advanced-atomic-reactor-prototype-fast-breeder-reactor-pfbr-at-kalpakkam-in-tamil-nadu-reaches-milestone-attains-criticality-11320590

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2041187159655305350

https://twitter.com/i/web/status/2041316858951881018

By the way, the fact that PFBR remains entirely outside IAEA safeguards represents a theoretical increase in our production of weapons-grade plutonium from the current ~25 kg/year (Dhruva only, now that CIRUS is shut down...not counting any theoretical civilian reactors' contribution) to about ~170 kg/year.

 

[Gessler]

A short summary of some of the technical challenges that went into PFBR's development, part of a larger article by Nuclear Engineering International (NEI):

Criticality for India’s PFBR - Nuclear Engineering International

India’s 500 MWe PFBR at Kalpakkam has achieved first criticality; a major milestone in the country’s three-stage nuclear power programme.

www.neimagazine.com

"...Developing the PFBR was not an easy task. Construction of the PFBR began in 2004 and was originally scheduled to be completed in 2010. The project was delayed by approximately 16 years due to a combination of technical, financial, and external challenges. The 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that struck the Kalpakkam site shortly after construction began required a re-evaluation of safety features and protective structures. Repeated delays caused the project cost to more than double, rising from an original estimate of about INR 35bn ($375m) to approximately INR77bn.

India’s PFBR is a pool-type reactor. In this design, the entire primary circuit (the core, pumps, and intermediate heat exchangers) is housed inside a single massive stainless steel main vessel filled with liquid sodium. Fabricating a vessel of that size (nearly 13 metres wide) to hold 1,150 tonnes of sodium at high temperatures while ensuring it could withstand seismic activity was a massive hurdle for Indian industry.

Because of India’s historical position outside the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), there was very little sharing of technical “know-how” from Russia or the West for the PFBR. India’s exclusion from the NPT also led to international trade bans, making it difficult to procure high-end nuclear components and technology.

India had to develop its own materials, such as specific grades of stainless steel (316LN) that could survive 40 years of sodium exposure without corroding or becoming brittle. Every component – from the sodium pumps to the steam generators – had to be designed and manufactured by Indian companies (such as L&T and BHEL) for the first time. India also had to integrated post-Fukushima safety requirements into a breeder design.

Handling liquid sodium is extremely complex as it reacts violently with air and water. Significant setbacks occurred during the commissioning of sodium pumps and secondary cooling systems. There were also persistent difficulties in producing the mixed oxide (mox) fuel elements required for the core.

Despite these difficulties, India’s nuclear programme is progressing. Currently India has a fleet of 18-20 pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) that use natural uranium as fuel and produce plutonium-239 (Pu-239) as a by-product in used fuel – the first stage of the programme. With criticality of the PFBR it is now embarking on stage two."

++++

As a side-note: L&T, the Indian company responsible for manufacturing the PFBR's critical pressure vessel (and also the PVs for India's IPHWRs) is the same company that's responsible for making the nearly 4,000-ton cryostat pressure vessel that contains the ITER experimental fusion reactor, which is also the largest high-vacuum pressure chamber ever built, anywhere in the world.

Cryostat

www.iter.org

From being internationally sanctioned & isolated to developing the expertise that leads to being entrusted with making one of the most important components for a massive international fusion reactor that could unlock the future of nuclear energy for the whole world - that's some journey!

(another major side note: L&T is also the chief contractor for India's nuclear submarine program).