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Technology Development of Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing in India


Affiliations
1 Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
2 National Institute of Advanced Studies Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru 560 012, India
 

The long-term self-reliance to meet the ever-growing power demand in India can be achieved if the huge thorium reserve of the country can be exploited. To harness this, adequate quantity of the isotope uranium-233 has to be accumulated to sustain the thorium-uranium-233 cycle. To achieve this goal, plutonium-fuelled Fast Reactor Technology (FRT) is the best option as the thorium fuel can be converted to uranium-233 effectively using the system. But the success of the FRT programme can be realized only if the fuel cycle is closed and the fuel recovered through reprocessing is refabricated and recycled back to the reactor for power production. This article provides glimpses of the current status of this vital link, fast reactor fuel reprocessing, in India. It also provides an overview of the developments taken place in this field and briefly describes the current projects for future development.

Keywords

Fast Reactor Technology, Indian Nuclear Power Programme, Mixed Carbide Fuels, PUREX Process.
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  • Technology Development of Fast Reactor Fuel Reprocessing in India

Abstract Views: 397  |  PDF Views: 229

Authors

R. Natarajan
Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, Kalpakkam 603 102, India
Baldev Raj
National Institute of Advanced Studies Indian Institute of Science Campus, Bengaluru 560 012, India

Abstract


The long-term self-reliance to meet the ever-growing power demand in India can be achieved if the huge thorium reserve of the country can be exploited. To harness this, adequate quantity of the isotope uranium-233 has to be accumulated to sustain the thorium-uranium-233 cycle. To achieve this goal, plutonium-fuelled Fast Reactor Technology (FRT) is the best option as the thorium fuel can be converted to uranium-233 effectively using the system. But the success of the FRT programme can be realized only if the fuel cycle is closed and the fuel recovered through reprocessing is refabricated and recycled back to the reactor for power production. This article provides glimpses of the current status of this vital link, fast reactor fuel reprocessing, in India. It also provides an overview of the developments taken place in this field and briefly describes the current projects for future development.

Keywords


Fast Reactor Technology, Indian Nuclear Power Programme, Mixed Carbide Fuels, PUREX Process.



DOI: https://doi.org/10.18520/cs%2Fv108%2Fi1%2F30-38