On December 17, 2023, India’s largest indigenously developed 700-MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) – the fourth unit in Kakrapar, Gujarat – attained criticality. Six months earlier, one other 700-MWe unit in the identical facility had began producing industrial electrical energy. In 2024, one other unit with the identical capability is anticipated to be commissioned in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. Behind all these reactors is the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Its chairman and managing director B.C. Pathak instructed The Hindu NPCIL plans to “commission a nuclear power reactor every year” therefore.
Mr. Pathak is a Distinguished Scientist of the Department of Atomic Energy and has greater than 30 years of expertise implementing the NPCIL’s nuclear power initiatives, together with 220-MWe, 540-MWe, 700-MWe and 1,000-MWe reactors of each PHWR and pressurised water reactor (PWR) applied sciences. He assumed his present cost in NPCIL in February 2022. On December 13, 2023, he spoke to The Hindu on India’s nuclear power plans and technique. Excerpts from the interview comply with.
In the convention on ‘Nuclear for Clean Energy Transition’ (in December), organised by the Indian Nuclear Society in affiliation with the NPCIL, you made a distinction between electrical energy technology and vitality. You stated a lot of the vitality presently comes from fossil fuels. Can you increase on this?
Globally, on a median, the vitality composition consists of about 20% electrical energy and 80% vitality from coal, petrol, diesel, gasoline, lignite, and different parts. Efforts are being made to decarbonise the electrical energy sector by placing up photo voltaic power crops, wind vitality, renewables, and nuclear power crops. The 80% vitality sector consists of gasoline that’s being instantly used as molecules or as a decreasing agent. There is a must decarbonise that sector additionally.
Efforts are being made globally to interchange this gasoline by a gasoline that doesn’t emit carbon dioxide. That is why the emphasis is being made on the manufacturing of inexperienced hydrogen. Green hydrogen, to some extent, will assist [in decarbonisation].
B.C. Pathak.
| Photo Credit:
NPCIL
In future, nuclear power could play a main function in producing hydrogen as a result of nuclear is clear vitality. Hydrogen, produced from clear vitality sources, is mostly termed inexperienced hydrogen. That is why nuclear has a twin function – by way of electrical energy technology and as a promising potential clear vitality supply.
But a lot of labor must be achieved throughout the globe on this. It will take a while. That is what I used to be making an attempt to elucidate by making a distinction between electrical energy and vitality. Electricity is definitely a subset type of vitality solely.
In the COP28 local weather talks held in Dubai, many nations agreed to triple their nuclear power technology by 2050 to realize net-zero emissions. Did India conform to triple its put in nuclear electrical energy capability by 2050?
India already has a plan to extend its current put in nuclear power capability of seven,480 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031-2032 in a progressive method.
The 700-MWe Kakrapar-3 unit in Gujarat is the most important indigenous PHWR the NPCIL has constructed. Why did it take greater than 18 months to attach it to the grid after it attained criticality? It was producing infirm power for a lot of months, not industrial power.
We made the reactor important in July 2020 and related it to the grid in January 2021, in a span of six months. There had been some commissioning experiments to be achieved after that. We needed to maintain the commissioning challenges and we’ve addressed these points now. Accordingly, it was declared industrial [on June 30, 2023] and began producing its industrial power of 700 MWe [on August 30, 2023].
Since that is the primary reactor [to be scaled up] from the 540-MWe reactors at Tarapur, commissioning challenges are sure to happen and we’ve addressed these points. This design has many superior security options corresponding to the most effective on this planet. Commissioning is a kind of validation of design parameters and is accomplished in phases after acquiring stage-wise clearances from the regulatory authority, i.e. the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
What are the brand new security options within the 700 MWe reactors? Do they’ve a gasoline core catcher?
These reactors are among the many finest reactors of this 700-MWe class. Many security options have been included in them. Basically, the reactor ought to be made able to controlling the reactivity. It ought to be able to cooling the [fuel] core. It ought to be able to containing [the releases] if any.
With reference to that, we’ve included many further security options like the liner contained in the containment, passive decay warmth removing system, containment filtered venting system, passive autocatalytic recombiners, and so on.
Like the metal lining within the Kudankulam reactors?
From the ground to the wall … like in Kudankulam. We have launched electrical penetration assemblies as an alternative of particular person cables. These electrical cables have modular parts, that are achieved on the producers’ finish, introduced, and assembled right here. That will enhance leak tightness of the containment.
We have launched a passive decay heat-removal system. In case of station blackout, if there is no such thing as a power provide out there, it will make sure the cooling of the [fuel] core. We have launched passive catalytic hydrogen recombiner items.
One of the numerous modifications we’ve made within the 700-MWe PHWRs is feeder interleaving. It has been made in all probability for the primary time on this planet. It ensures that there’s at all times water within the reactor even within the case of an off-normal situation. This distinctive characteristic is offered in our reactors.
Our 700-MWe reactors have all of the options out there based mostly on the working expertise inside our nation and elsewhere, and classes learnt from occasions that passed off in different elements of the world. I can say that the 700-MWe PHWRs are among the many most secure reactors on this planet.
You talked about the NPCIL would construct solely 700-MWe PHWRs any longer and in fleet mode. What are the explanations for this determination?
I didn’t precisely say this. The electrical energy requirement in our nation is large. Our indigenously constructed largest reactor is 700-MWe. For main capability addition, we will go forward with the 700-MWe PHWRs. However, if required, we could go for 220-MWe PHWRs, that are equally confirmed.
So, at occasions, not now, there could also be necessities from industries for smaller reactors. We are prepared for it. But with 700-MWe reactors, we will get the economic system of scale.
Until now, we had been constructing two or 4 reactors at a time. But now, 9 reactors are below development at current. Ten reactors are in numerous pre-project actions. So 19 reactors are below numerous phases of implementation.
Are 19 reactors below development now?
Yes, as I already talked about, 19 reactors are below numerous phases of implementation. NPCIL is able to taking on [for construction] these many reactors. To ramp up our electrical energy technology capability, it’s higher to go for a fleet of reactors at a time. But we’re open to 220-MWe and 700-MWe reactors. The final want is to extend the nuclear share within the nation on the earliest.
Will these 220-MWe reactors be small modular reactors (SMRs)? The pattern is to go for SMRs however nothing has been constructed thus far.
A small reactor of 220 MWe per se shouldn’t be a small modular reactor. But sure, we are able to go for SMRs based mostly on our expertise in designing power reactors. Today, we’ve the confirmed expertise of 220 MWe and they are often deployed on the earliest. The manufacturing sector is mature for it. If a requirement comes for 220 MWe, it may be put in.
A lot of 700-MWe items are below development now. But we’re open to 220-MWe items as nicely.
When will Rajasthan Atomic Power Station-7 (RAPS-7) of 700 MWe go important?
I’m anticipating commissioning of RAPS-7 within the subsequent 12 months.
How is the supply of pure uranium within the nation? To my data, no new mines have been opened. If sufficient pure uranium shouldn’t be out there within the nation, will you place the indigenous 700-MWe reactors below the International Atomic Energy Agency’s (IAEA) safeguards in order that they’ll get uranium from overseas?
We don’t envisage any downside for provide of gasoline for our nuclear power reactors.
What is the issue with Madras Atomic Power Station -1 (MAPS-1) reactor at Kalpakkam? It has been shut down for a very long time.
MAPS-1 is a very outdated reactor. MAPS-1 and -2 had been working satisfactorily for a very long time. MAPS-2 was working at practically 230 MWe. [Its capacity is 220 MWe]. Since they’re outdated items, age-related points are there. We are addressing them. Slightly upgradation must be achieved. I’m anticipating MAPS-1 to come back on-line this monetary 12 months.
The TAPS-1 and -2 reactors in Tarapur are older reactors they usually have been working for greater than 50 years…
Yes, TAPS-1 and -2 are the oldest operational nuclear power reactors on this planet. Presently, each are shut down and present process life extension and upgradation works. The first unit will come on line subsequent 12 months.
What is the most recent progress on Kudankulam-3,4, 5 and 6? Enriched uranium gasoline bundles reached Kudankulam not too long ago from Russia.
The development work in these reactors is progressing nicely. A big [workforce] is engaged there, say, to the tune of 10,000 individuals. We predict these reactors to come back on-line progressively. We are getting provides from the Russian Federation for these initiatives.
As far as gasoline is anxious, we’re working items 1 and a couple of on a 11-month gasoline cycle. With the brand new gasoline added now in Kudankulam unit 1, it’s working on an 18-month gasoline cycle. It means as soon as we load the brand new sort of gasoline, the reactor will function repeatedly for 18 months.
We are getting the gasoline provide repeatedly. Both the reactors are working at good capability elements. These items are producing a good quantity, of million items of unpolluted electrical energy, for the nation.
The PWRs that we’ve developed and which use enriched uranium as gasoline propel our two nuclear-powered submarines. Will we construct industrial PWRs? A giant uranium enrichment facility is developing at Chitradurga in Karnataka.
As far as NPCIL is anxious, we’re primarily mandated to work on the PHWRs. But the NPCIL now has the expertise of development, commissioning, operation, and upkeep of VVER-1000 sort reactors [at Kudankulam], which will be helpful for engaged on PWR expertise.
Why is there a lot delay in implementing the nuclear power initiatives at Jaitapur in Maharashtra and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, the place the French and the Americans had been to construct reactors? Are they insisting they will not pay damages if there are accidents?
Discussions with the EDF [of France] and Westinghouse [of the U.S.] on technical points for Jaitapur and Kovvada are in progress.
The West Bengal Government has stated it will not permit a nuclear power challenge to come back up at Haripur. Have you discovered an alternate web site to Haripur?
Site choice for establishing a nuclear power plant is an ongoing exercise. Accordingly, the potential websites are recognized and evaluated in accordance with the regulatory codes and guides for his or her suitability.
Homi Bhabha envisioned a three-stage nuclear power programme for India: the PHWRs within the first stage, the breeder reactors utilizing plutonium within the second, and the reactors utilizing thorium as gasoline within the third. Why the delay of so a few years in constructing the 300-MWe superior heavy water reactor, which will use thorium and uranium-233 as gasoline?
Nuclear is an evolving expertise. Many modifications are going down. In my expertise, in nuclear, one has to go sluggish and regular. We have matured the expertise in stage considered one of our three-stage nuclear power programme. We are going into the second stage. Once we mature that expertise, we will enter the third stage. It ought to be a gradual course of…
I don’t assume there may be any delay. We are heading in the right direction. Our three-stage programme is the most effective on this planet. It is self-sustaining. For the primary stage, every little thing is offered for the Indian PHWRs.
Once we go to the third stage, we gained’t need to get even gasoline [from outside]. Everything will be out there in India. The concept is we ought to be self-sufficient in vitality safety. This is a gradual course of and a sequential course of.
