India's three stage nuclear power programme

India's three stage nuclear power programme was formulated to use the available uranium and thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of coastal regions of South India. Importance of nuclear energy was recognised as soon as India became independent. The Atomic Energy Act, 1948 was published with sole intent to develop nuclear research for peaceful purposes.

Stage I - Pressurised heavy water reactor

Natural uranium fuelled Pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) which would produce Plutonium-239 as by-product.

Stage II - fast breeder reactor

Fast breeder reactors (FBRs) using plutonium based fuel, would be used to produce uranium-233 from thorium-232.

India's fast breeder reactor is based upon the LMFBR -"Liquid Metal Fast Breeder Reactor." In IGCAR, liquid sodium metal is used as the coolant in the nuclear reactor. Liquid sodium cools the reactor, carrying heat from the primary vessel to the steam generator, a sodium-water heat exchanger also known as NaX. For chain reaction, a fast reactor must use fuel that is relatively rich in fissile material. The superior neutron economy of a fast neutron reactor makes it possible to build a reactor that, after a relatively large initial fuel charge of plutonium, requires only natural (or even depleted) uranium feedstock as input to its fuel cycle.

The PFBR at IGCAR, which is planned to be commissioned in 2012, is a pool type FBR.

Stage III - Advanced nuclear power system

The advanced nuclear power system involves a self-sustaining series of thorium-232-uranium-233 fuelled reactors, such as Advanced Heavy Water Reactor(AHWR). It is a thermal breeder reactor, as after its initial fuel charge of enriched uranium, plutonium or MOX, requires only naturally occurring thorium as input to its fuel cycle.

See also

• Energy policy of India
• Nuclear power in India
• Energy security
• Indo-US civilian nuclear agreement
• IEEE Spectrum Q&A With: Sudhinder Thakur
• IEEE Spectrum Q&A: Thorium Reactor Designer Ratan Kumar Sinha