Delays in India’s FBR Program: India’s 3-stage nuclear program, particularly the deployment of Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) in Stage 2, is facing delays.
HALEU-Thorium as an Alternative: Former BARC chief suggests using High Assay Low Enriched Uranium (HALEU) and thorium in existing Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) as an alternative.
HALEU Benefits: HALEU, enriched between 5% and 20% U-235, isn’t yet widely commercially available.
Thorium Utilization: This approach allows for earlier use of India’s abundant thorium reserves, enhancing long-term sustainability.
Fuel Recycling: Spent fuel from HALEU-thorium PHWRs can be reprocessed to extract fissile material.
Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs): The reprocessed material can be used in advanced reactors like Molten Salt Reactors (MSRs), part of India’s 3rd stage, maximizing fuel efficiency and minimizing waste.
Addressing Baseload Capacity: Kakodkar’s suggestion comes at a time when India needs to increase baseload nuclear capacity due to the rapid expansion of renewables and grid instability.
Increasing Nuclear Output: Recycling uranium and incorporating thorium are crucial for exponentially increasing nuclear power output given uranium supply constraints.
Private Sector Role: Private sector has a secondary role to mobilize the program and scale it up due to government’s acknowledgement of nuclear energy to achieve the ‘Viksit Bharat’ goals.
