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| India-Pakistan |
| India's fast breeder nuclear reactors to be redesigned to cut costs |
| 2009-01-19 |
| Chennai, Jan 19 (IANS) Scientists and engineers at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) are hoping to save around Rs.5 billion (Rs.500 crore or $104 million) by modifying the design of four fast reactors on the anvil for nuclear power plants. "The proposed reactors are going to be different in many ways from the prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) designed by us and which are under construction," IGCAR director Baldev Raj told IANS. With the Rs.35-billion PFBR project progressing at good pace at Kalpakkam, 80 km from here, the Indian government has sanctioned building of four more 500 MW fast reactors. A breeder reactor is one that breeds more material for a nuclear fission reaction than it consumes, so that the reaction - that ultimately produces electricity - can continue. The Indian fast reactors will be fuelled by a blend of plutonium and uranium oxide. While the reactor will use fission plutonium for power production, it will also breed more plutonium than what it uses from the natural uranium. The surplus plutonium from each fast reactor can be used to set up more such reactors and grow the nuclear capacity in tune with India's needs. These reactors are also called fast spectrum reactors since the neutrons coming from the fission will not be moderated. Two of the proposed reactors will come up in Kalpakkam, the site for which has been approved, while the location for the remaining two are yet to be finalised. According to Raj, the four reactors will be designed to last 60 years - an increase of 20 years over PFBR's current life span. "The blueprint for the four oxide fuel fast reactors is ready. The roadmap for research and development will be ready next month," reactor engineering group director S.C. Chetal told IANS. According to him, the idea is to sell power at Rs.2 per unit as compared to Rs.3.20 per unit from PFBR; hence the effort to reduce the capital cost. Detailing the cost-cutting steps, Chetal said: "The proposed reactors will be built as twin units. That means many of the facilities will be shared by the two reactors, which in turn saves capital and running costs." For instance, there will be fewer welding points, making the reactors safer and more economical. "The savings will be achieved from reduced material consumption through innovative design design," said P. Chellapandi, director, safety group. Chellapandi said the safety vessel of the proposed reactors will be smaller than the one installed inside the PFBR's reactor vault: its diameter will be reduced to 11.5 metres from 12.9 metres. "A reduction of one metre will result in an overall saving of Rs.25 crore (Rs.250 million) on material, fabrication and civil construction." The new design fast reactors will have six steam generators as against eight in the PFBR and changes will be made in the grid plate, sodium and reactor shutdown systems. With the experience gained from fabricating giant equipment and the country embarking on a major fast-breeder reactor programme, vendors should be able to lower price. These apart, the focus will be on sourcing local components and raw materials to save costs. Imports for PFBR consist of sodium and high grade steel, both sourced from France. "The design changes in the proposed reactors do not mean PFBR is over-designed. The proposed changes will be realistic or less conservative," said Chellapandi. With the experience gained from PFBR, the new projects can be completed in five years as against seven years, the officials feel. Chennai, Jan 19 (IANS) Plans for two more fast breeder reactors at the nuclear power complex in Kalpakkam near here are proceeding fast, even as India's first 500 MW fast breeder nuclear reactor plant is fast coming up at the complex. The fast breeder reactor operating company Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (Bhavini) will soon start pre project activities for the construction of two more reactors at Kalpakkam, 80 km from this Tamil Nadu capital. A breeder reactor is one that breeds more material for a nuclear fission reaction than it consumes. The reaction produces energy that is used in the form of electricity. The Indian fast reactors will be fuelled by a blend of plutonium and uranium oxide. While the reactor will break up (fission) plutonium for power production, it will also breed more plutonium than it consumes. The original plutonium comes from natural uranium. The surplus plutonium from each fast reactor can be used to set up more such reactors and grow the nuclear capacity in tune with India's energy needs. These reactors are also called fast spectrum reactors since the neutrons coming from the fission will not be moderated. "Having got the approval from the site selection committee, we are taking the next step of preparing the site for construction," Prabhat Kumar, project director, told IANS. According to him the pre project activities such as levelling the site, laying of roads, setting up assembly shops and others will "get started next fiscal and would require substantial sums". But he did not give a specific number. The government has sanctioned construction of four more 500 MW fast reactors of which two will be housed inside the existing nuclear island at Kalpakkam and expected to be ready by 2020. Decision on locating the remaining two fast reactors is yet to be taken. The proposed reactors will also be powered by mixed oxide fuel - a blend of plutonium and uranium oxides - like the upcoming 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) in the same complex. Similarly, construction of the Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle Facility is expected to start soon. The facility will have a fuel reprocessing plant, fuel fabrication plant, core sub-assembly plant, reprocessed uranium oxide plant and waste management plant. The facility will not only fabricate the mixed oxide fuel and fuel sub assemblies for the fast reactors at Kalpakkam but also reprocess and refabricate the spent fuel that comes out of these reactors. The purpose of fuel reprocessing facility is to recover and use the fissile and fertile component in the spent fuel. "The facility would involve an outlay of around Rs.20 billion (Rs.2,000 crore/$411 million) and will be ready by 2014 so as to reprocess the spent fuel from PFBR," Baldev Raj, director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), told IANS. The PFBR, expected to go on stream sometime at the end of 2010, will have its fuel fabricated at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Mumbai. According to Raj, co-locating the fuel fabrication and reprocessing facilities has several advantages - in terms of safety, security and logistics - which in turn makes the effort economical. "Similarly there will be a separate facility for the two other proposed 500 MW fast reactors," he added. In addition, IGCAR is also building a lab-sized reprocessing plant for metallic fuel - the fuel of future fast reactors. India's nuclear establishment has decided to go for metallic fuel as it enables faster breeding of plutonium than is consumed for energy generation. These facilities will be in addition to the existing plant at Kalpakkam that reprocesses the spent fuel from the Madras Atomic Power Station and the Fast Breeder Test Reactor. |
| Posted by:john frum |
| #3 Not necessarily. The isotope of plutonium produced by these things is not a desirable isotope for weapons use but will work nicely for reactor fuel. See "Smarter use of Nuclear Waste" from December 2005 Scientific American. You can search on it with Google and find the pdf of the article at various places. Good background on these reactors. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2009-01-19 19:45 |
| #2 The surplus plutonium from each fast reactor can be used to set up more such reactors and grow the nuclear capacity in tune with India's needs. Uh, it can be used for other things too. |
| Posted by: bigjim-ky 2009-01-19 19:20 |
| #1 The key benefit from fast neutron reactors is that they can be used to recycle fuel from conventional plants and can make fuel directly from natural uranium without enrichment, greatly reducing the cost of nuclear fuel production and disposal. We were going to do the same thing until Clinton/Gore canceled the plant. |
| Posted by: crosspatch 2009-01-19 17:25 |