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.