NEW DELHI: In a big development for India’s atomic energy programme, the country’s most advanced and complex nuclear reactor, 500 MWe sodium-cooled prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR), located at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, has finally got approval from atomic regulator Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) to start operationalising the reactor by loading nuclear fuel and then initiating the chain reaction.
Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercially operating fast breeder reactor.
“AERB met on July 27 at Kalpakkam to consider the application for ‘first approach to criticality’, including loading of fuel in the reactor core and conduct of ‘low power physics experiments’ in PFBR,” said A P Garg, scientist and director, directorate of regulatory affairs and external relations, AERB in a statement.
Once commissioned, India will only be the second country after Russia to have commercially operating fast breeder reactor.
“AERB met on July 27 at Kalpakkam to consider the application for ‘first approach to criticality’, including loading of fuel in the reactor core and conduct of ‘low power physics experiments’ in PFBR,” said A P Garg, scientist and director, directorate of regulatory affairs and external relations, AERB in a statement.