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.
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.
