NPCIL develops first nuclear reactor for thorium utilisation

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) today said it has developed the first of its kind nuclear reactor for thorium utilisation, whose design was under review of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB).

"We have developed the first of its kind Advance Heavy Water Reactor(AHWR) having 300 MW capacity for thorium utilisation, whose design is under review of AERB," NPCIL director (technical) SA Bhardwaj said.

The move is significant for development of third stage technology for nuclear reactors, especially when availability of uranium-235 in India, a natural fuel for reactors, is just 0.7% in the estimated 60,000 tonnes of natural uranium reserves in the country. The remaining 99.3% is uranium-238.

"The construction work of AHWR is slated to begin in 12th Five Year Plan. Presently, we are trying to locate a suitable site for it," Bhardwaj said.

Thorium cannot be used directly as fuel in reactors, it has to be first converted into a fuel through a process, which so far had been a major challenge for experts.

"The engineering of thorium fuels has been very well established. Some small amount of reprocessing from thorium fuel has been done in a research through a small reactor called Kamini at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu, which uses uranium 233," he said.