BARC out to tap thorium power

The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) will launch the construction of 300 Megawatt electrical (MWe) Advanced Heavy Water Reactor, an innovative next generation technology demonstrator for energy from thorium, sometime next year, chairman of Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Dr Anil Kakodkar has said.

Speaking at a function marking the 50th year of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and 97th birth anniversary of its founder Homi Bhabha, Kakodkar said, “The capacity of new Pressured Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) units has further been enhanced to 700 MWe. This will help to reduce the unit capital cost further.”

The 50th year of BARC also marked the successful completion of the Tarapur 3 and 4 projects six to seven months ahead of schedule with substantial savings in terms of project capital cost.

“That this has been achieved for the first of its kind system developed indigenously is indeed remarkable,” Kakodkar said.

The 540 MWe units at Tarapur are among the largest units now operating in India. With 16 units with a total capacity of 3,900 MWe already functional, BARC is constructing seven more nuclear power units.

“Unit-3 of Kaigal is expected to get operational this year. With the government having agreed in principle, to construct 8 more units, it would take the total nuclear power-generation capacity to around 14,000 MWe,”

Kakodkar said, urging the need to look at nuclear energy as a primary energy source.