India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor Achieves Criticality, Boosting Energy Security Hopes
Why it matters
The 500 MWe sodium-cooled Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), developed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and built by BHAVINI, has achieved criticality. This signifies the reactor's ability to sustain a chain reaction of nuclear fission. It represents a significant advancement over conventional pressurized heavy-water reactors, demanding mastery of fast-neutron technology.
This achievement is central to the second stage of India’s nuclear program. Unlike the first stage using natural uranium, breeder reactors like the PFBR produce more fissile material than they consume. Employing a Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel of Uranium and Plutonium, it converts non-fissile Uranium-238 into Plutonium-239. This process eventually enables the third stage's use of Thorium-232 to generate Uranium-233, vastly expanding India's energy potential.
| Parameter | Value/Detail |
|---|---|
| Reactor Type | Sodium-Cooled Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) |
| Capacity | 500 MWe |
| Location | Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu |
| Nodal Agency | BHAVINI (Department of Atomic Energy) |
Glossary
Criticality: The state of a nuclear reactor where the number of neutrons produced by fission equals neutron loss, maintaining a self-sustaining chain reaction.
Fast Breeder Reactor: A nuclear reactor that generates more fissile material than it consumes, using fast neutrons to convert fertile material into fissile isotopes.
NaukriSync Exam Angle
Science & Technology. Key fact to memorise: India's PFBR is the first indigenous 500 MWe fast breeder reactor to achieve criticality, located at Kalpakkam under BHAVINI. This is the second stage of the Homi J. Bhabha-designed three-stage nuclear program. Most likely format: Statement-based MCQ regarding the fuel types (MOX) used in different stages of India's nuclear plan.