Long Term Sustainability Of Nuclear Power In India - Prospects And Challenges

Abstract

Nuclear power is emerging as a viable carbon – free option for India to meet the everincreasing demand of base – load electricity at an affordable price, in a safe, secured and sustainable manner. Since the 1970s, India had been pursuing a self-reliant indigenous nuclear power program linking the fuel cycles of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR), Fast Breeder Reactor (FBRs) and thorium-based self-sustaining breeder in stage 1, 2 and 3 respectively, for efficient utilization of modest low grade (0.03-0.06 % U3O8) uranium reserves but vast thorium resources. Natural uranium fueled PHWR is the backbone of the program. India has achieved industrial maturity in PHWR and the related uranium fuel cycle technology. Presently, 21 reactors are in operation, including 16 units of PHWR 220 MWe, 2 units of PHWR 540 MWe, 2 units of Boiling Water Reactor (BWR) 160 MWe and a (Water Water Energy Reactor) VVER 1000 MWe. Six reactors including a VVER 1000, 4 units of PHWR700 and a Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MWe (PFBR 500) is in an advanced stage of commissioning, as the first step to commercialization of Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) technology and related ‘closed’ fuel cycle. Two additional FBRs of 600 MWe each and an integrated fast reactor fuel cycle complex are planned at the PFBR 500 sites. Since the year 2009, India has been given access to international uranium market and reactor technology. This has helped the country to enhance the expansion of nuclear power program in collaboration with overseas vendors. Negotiations are underway to set up several Generation III + light water reactor (LWR) parks with the assistance of leading reactor vendors like Rosatom, Russia (for VVER1000), Areva, France (for EPR 1650), Westinghouse, USA (for AP 1000) and General Electric, USA (for ESBWR 1350). These reactor vendors have given assurance of life time supply of low enriched uranium oxide fuel for these reactors. Several reactor sites are being developed for at least 12 additional indigenous PHWR 700 reactors. The target is to have ~ 45,000 MWe nuclear power by 2030. Since the last six years, India has also been importing natural uranium oreconcentrate (UOC) and finished natural UO2 pellets tofuel the ten PHWR 220 units at Rawathbhata, Kakrapara and Narora. India has also been importing enriched UO2 fuel for the two BWRs at Tarapur and the two VVERs at Kudankulunm. The present paper summarizes the on-going and the expanding nuclear power program in India highlighting the challenges of availability of uranium and plutonium for manufacturing nuclear fuels.