New Delhi, April 6 (NationPress) Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the nation’s scientists for their remarkable achievement in the indigenous design and construction of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor located at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu.

The Prime Minister emphasized that India has made a significant advancement in its civil nuclear journey, marking a crucial progression in the second phase of its nuclear program.

“The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, which has been indigenously created, has successfully achieved criticality,” he stated.

He further noted that this state-of-the-art reactor, which generates more fuel than it consumes, showcases the profound capabilities of India’s scientific community and the robustness of its engineering sector.

PM Modi also mentioned that this is a pivotal move towards utilizing the nation’s vast thorium reserves in the third phase of the nuclear initiative.

“It’s a moment of immense pride for India. Congratulations to our dedicated scientists and engineers,” he expressed.

In 2024, Prime Minister Modi observed the initiation of “core loading” at the 500 MWe PFBR facility in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu.

During his visit, he explored the reactor vault and the control center, receiving insights into the facility’s essential characteristics.

Once operational, India will join Russia as the second nation capable of operating a commercial Fast Breeder Reactor.

Aligning with the Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiative, the PFBR was entirely designed and built by BHAVINI, with vital contributions from over 200 Indian industries, including numerous micro, small, and medium enterprises (MSMEs).

The reactor will initially utilize Uranium-Plutonium mixed oxide (MOX) fuel, with a Uranium-238 “blanket” surrounding the fuel core that undergoes nuclear transmutation to generate additional fuel, hence its designation as a “breeder.”

Plans are also in place to incorporate Thorium-232 as a blanket at this phase.

“Through transmutation, thorium will produce fissile Uranium-233, which will be utilized as fuel in the third stage,” the Prime Minister noted.

The Fast Breeder Reactor, therefore, serves as a crucial stepping stone for advancing to the third phase of India’s nuclear program, enabling the comprehensive utilization of the country’s rich thorium reserves.

India can also leverage thorium cycle-based methods to extract nuclear fuel.

This is particularly significant for India's nuclear power generation strategy, given that India holds one of the largest thorium reserves globally, which could potentially provide energy for up to 60,000 years.