IDN TAKE: THE EMERGENCE OF INDIA'S CIVIL NUCLEAR PROGRAM

Dhruv & Cirus Nuclear Reactors at BARC, Trombay

INTRODUCTION

The importance of nuclear energy as a sustainable energy resource for India was recognized at the very inception of the atomic energy program in the immediate post independence era of the country. A three stage nuclear power program to meet the country's specific requirement was chalked out with Natural Uranium fuelled Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) in the first stage followed by Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR) utilizing Plutonium based fuels in the second stage and with the advanced nuclear power systems utilizing the large available resources of Thorium in the third stage at India's nodal atomic research agency, the Bhabha Atomic Research Center (BARC).

Design and development of advanced nuclear systems, which will utilize the precious plutonium resources in an optimum way to maximize conversion of thorium to 233U and extract power in-situ from the thorium fuel, are in progress. The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) is in this direction. In the development of nuclear technology in any country, Research Reactors play a central and key role. They contribute towards development of essential infrastructure for research and development and also the trained human resources. Research reactors are also extensively used in the field of neutron beam research, production of radioisotopes for application in the fields of medicine, agriculture, food preservation and industry, neutron radiography and neutron activation analysis. To gainfully exploit all the nuclear energy options it was essential to develop the research reactors to cater to the multi stages of the power program. The road map for Indian research reactor program is to cater to the above requirement.

Cirus & Dhruv Research Reactors
There is , perhaps, no other sector in the country that has in its "quiet and efficient" way delivered what it had promised itself and the country. India is today firmly established on the world nuclear map as a power to reckon with, despite the handicap of restrictions placed by the West. In a way, these restrictions/sanctions which came about after India did Pokhran I in 1974 have helped the atomic energy scientists and engineers to look within and develop their own systems and equipment. It takes some time for me to digest the statement made by Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre Anil Kakodkar when he was asked in a research journal whether the materials made in-house were comparable to international standards. " Comparable? We are the best. They now have to use us as a bench mark," a truth that has not dawned much on most skeptics in our country.

India’s nuclear program is not all about the Bomb. Naturally, the two Big Bangs which have so far taken place have been much talked about because of the political and military implications which they entail. But the fact remains that they are but a very small part of the total scientific output of the institutions under the control of the Atomic Energy Commission. The material output is also significant.

BARC is not about R and D only. They have R & DDD; meaning research, development, demonstration and deployment. There is, of course, a very strong emphasis on basic research. But that research has to be developed into technologies which not only have to be demonstrated as workable but also deployed in specific areas of utilization.

RESEARCH REACTORS

India's Nuclear Milestones

Apsara a 1 MWt swimming pool type research reactor designed and built with totally indigenous effort attained criticality on August 4, 1956. Cirus, a 40 MWt tank type heavy water moderated and light water cooled reactor was commissioned in 1960. In early 1961 a zero energy critical facility named Zerlina (Zero Energy Reactor for Lattice Investigations and New Assemblies) was built, for studying various lattice parameters of natural Uranium fuelled, heavy water moderated reactors. Dhruva a 100 MWt tank type heavy water moderated and cooled reactor was commissioned in 1985, to fulfill the growing needs of Indian Nuclear Program.

In pursuing the development of the three-stage nuclear program, another critical facility was built in 1972 namedPURNIMA (Plutonium Reactor for Neutron Investigations in Multiplying Assemblies). This facility was used for the physics study of plutonium fuelled fast reactors. As a part of studies with U233 fuel, a 30 kW research reactor called KAMINI(KAlpakkam MINI) using U233 as fuel was commissioned at IGCAR Kalpakkam near Chennai. Incidentally Kamini is the only operating reactor in the world with U233 fuel. Fast Breeder Test Reactor at Kalpakkam commissioned in 1985, provides an essential base for R&D aspects related to the second stage power program. Considering the abundant resources of Thorium in India and utilization of Thorium for power production as an important feature of the long-term Indian Nuclear Power Program, AHWR is being designed in BARC.

OPERATIONS

The operating nuclear power units are:

Tarapur Atomic Power Station Units-1&2 (2x160 MW BWRs),
Tarapur Atomic Power Station Units-3&4 (2x540 MW PHWRs),
Rajasthan Atomic Power Station Units 1to 6 (100 MW, 200 MW and 4x220 MW PHWRs),
Madras Atomic Power Station Units-1&2 (2x220 MW PHWRs),
Narora Atomic Power Station Units-1&2 (2x220 MW PHWRs),
Kakrapar Atomic Station Units-1&2 (2x220 MW PHWRs),
Kaiga Generating Station Unit-1 to 4 (4x220 MW PHWRs) and
Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Unit-1 (1x1000 MW VVER)*

* Unit -1 of KKNPP has started commercial operation on December 31, 2014

The units under construction/commissioning are:

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project Unit-2 (1x1000 MW VVER)
Kakrapar Atomic Power Project Unit-3&4 (2x700 MW PHWRs)
Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Units-7&8 (2x700 MW PHWRs)
FUTURE ROAD-MAP

It is worthy to note that, plans are already afoot to phase out uranium as fuel for reactors and replace it with thorium. The genesis of the program can be traced back to 1954 when Homi.J Bhabha drafted the three-stage nuclear power program which was aimed at using our natural resources of uranium and thorium. It required the building of pressurized heavy water reactors which used natural uranium as fuel for producing power and plutonium fuel in the first stage. The second stage entailed building of fast breeder reactors using plutonium as fuel and producing electricity and more plutonium and uranium 233. The third stage was thorium-based reactors.

In order to attain technical capability in managing nuclear power plants indigenously, two boiling water reactors were set up at Tarapur on a turn key basis. The Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) became operational in 1969 and India came on the nuclear power map. Subsequently, two prototype heavy water reactors were built at Rawatbhatta (Rajasthan) with Canadian help. These commenced commercial production in 1972 and 1980. They were followed by two more similar reactors at Kalpakkam near Chennai in 1984 and 1986. They were designed, built and operated entirely by our engineers and scientists. 

After attaining self-reliance in setting up pressurised heavy water reactors, two 220 megawatt capacity reactors were set up at Narora. They were commissioned in 1989 and 1991. Two more such plants were built and commissioned in 1992 and 1995 at Kakrapar (Gujarat). Construction work is in an advanced stage at tow 700 megawatt reactors Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Rawatbhatta in Rajasthan. The RAPS 3 and 4 will supply power to the northern grid. The Kundankulam Atomic Power Plant (VVER-1000 (PWR) Reactor Type) has been built with Russian assistance, Unit 1 was synchronized with the southern power grid on 22 October 2013. As on Sept-2015 98.5% physical progress has been achieved with Hot run of Nuclear Steam Supply System (Phase A-3 Commissioning) and Removing of dummy fuel from RPV 2 has since been completed.

NPCIL is presently operating 21 nuclear power reactors with an installed capacity of 5780 MWe.

SUSTAINED RADIOACTIVE WASTE MANAGEMENT

The picture looks pretty heartening as BARC prepares to meet the energy requirements for the next two or three centuries. But nuclear power is risky. Radioactive waste management has raised the heckles of environmentalists the world over. In America and many parts of Europe, it is a major issue. Radioactive waste, in fact, is a dreaded word since it is claimed that it can alter genetic material among humans besides causing diseases like cancer. Moreover, it has an highly injurious impact on the environment. Remember Chernobyl & Fukushima?

Nuclear scientists in India pooh-poohs the possibility of nuclear waste causing sleepless nights in India. The Americans had it coming. They used to carelessly dump radioactive material. They made a mess of it and hence the public outcry. They had no policy on waste management. But things have been different in India from the very beginning. As early as 1962, BARC started a waste management program and have been following it scrupulously  As a government agency they owe it to the people, unlike many private firms in the West. India’s waste management program is virtually fail-safe. It is a three-phase program and is used for high-level radioactive waste. 

  • The first phase is calcination followed by vitrification in which the waste is immobilized.
  • Then comes interim storage. This entails storing the waste in specially demarcated and built storage spaces.
  • Finally, it goes to ultimate storage in geological repositories. There is virtually zero possibility of waste finding its way back to the eco system once it has been immobilised and stored in the manner prescribed. The removal, movement and storage is done under the most stringent conditions applicable anywhere in the world. India's safety record is also way above that found anywhere else internationally.
India is a path-breaker in safety standards as the agency is in the process of power plant design, fabrication and running. India is also the world leader in radio isotope production and in many applications in the field of medicine and medical equipment. Canada and the USA, our original benefactors in nuclear technology, are now looking at India for supply of isotopes to them. BARC-developed technology is used by hospitals around the country to treat one million patients every year. There is, therefore, more to the atomic energy program in India than just the Bomb.And, in most of these aspects too we are the best in the world.