On December 17, 2023, India’s largest indigenously developed 700-MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) – the fourth unit in Kakrapar, Gujarat – attained criticality. Six months earlier, one other 700-MWe unit in the identical facility had began producing industrial electrical energy. In 2024, one other unit with the identical capability is predicted to be commissioned in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan. Behind all these reactors is the Nuclear Energy Company of India Restricted (NPCIL). Its chairman and managing director B.C. Pathak instructed The Hindu NPCIL plans to “commission a nuclear power reactor every year” therefore.
Mr. Pathak is a Distinguished Scientist of the Division of Atomic Power and has greater than 30 years of expertise implementing the NPCIL’s nuclear energy initiatives, together with 220-MWe, 540-MWe, 700-MWe and 1,000-MWe reactors of each PHWR and pressurised water reactor (PWR) applied sciences. He assumed his present cost in NPCIL in February 2022. On December 13, 2023, he spoke to The Hindu on India’s nuclear energy plans and technique. Excerpts from the interview comply with.
Within the convention on ‘Nuclear for Clean Energy Transition’ (in December), organised by the Indian Nuclear Society in affiliation with the NPCIL, you made a distinction between electrical energy era and vitality. You stated a lot of the vitality presently comes from fossil fuels. Are you able to broaden on this?
Globally, on a median, the vitality composition consists of about 20% electrical energy and 80% vitality from coal, petrol, diesel, gasoline, lignite, and different elements. Efforts are being made to decarbonise the electrical energy sector by placing up solar energy crops, wind vitality, renewables, and nuclear energy crops. The 80% vitality sector consists of gas that’s being instantly used as molecules or as a lowering agent. There’s a must decarbonise that sector additionally.
Efforts are being made globally to exchange this gas by a gas that doesn’t emit carbon dioxide. That’s the reason the emphasis is being made on the manufacturing of inexperienced hydrogen. Inexperienced hydrogen, to some extent, will assist [in decarbonisation].
In future, nuclear energy might play a serious function in producing hydrogen as a result of nuclear is clear vitality. Hydrogen, produced from clear vitality sources, is usually termed inexperienced hydrogen. That’s the reason nuclear has a twin function – by way of electrical energy era and as a promising potential clear vitality supply.
However numerous work needs to be finished throughout the globe on this. It is going to take a while. That’s what I used to be making an attempt to elucidate by making a distinction between electrical energy and vitality. Electrical energy is definitely a subset type of vitality solely.
Within the COP28 local weather talks held in Dubai, many nations agreed to triple their nuclear energy era by 2050 to attain net-zero emissions. Did India conform to triple its put in nuclear electrical energy capability by 2050?
India already has a plan to extend its current put in nuclear energy capability of seven,480 MW to 22,480 MW by 2031-2032 in a progressive method.
The 700-MWe Kakrapar-3 unit in Gujarat is the most important indigenous PHWR the NPCIL has constructed. Why did it take greater than 18 months to attach it to the grid after it attained criticality? It was producing infirm energy for a lot of months, not industrial energy.
We made the reactor important in July 2020 and linked it to the grid in January 2021, in a span of six months. There have been some commissioning experiments to be finished after that. We needed to deal with the commissioning challenges and we’ve got addressed these points now. Accordingly, it was declared industrial [on June 30, 2023] and began producing its industrial energy of 700 MWe [on August 30, 2023].
Since that is the primary reactor [to be scaled up] from the 540-MWe reactors at Tarapur, commissioning challenges are certain to happen and we’ve got addressed these points. This design has many superior security options corresponding to the most effective on the earth. Commissioning is a form of validation of design parameters and is accomplished in phases after acquiring stage-wise clearances from the regulatory authority, i.e. the Atomic Power Regulatory Board.
What are the brand new security options within the 700 MWe reactors? Have they got a gas core catcher?
These reactors are among the many finest reactors of this 700-MWe class. Many security options have been included in them. Mainly, the reactor ought to be made able to controlling the reactivity. It ought to be able to cooling the [fuel] core. It ought to be able to containing [the releases] if any.
On the subject of that, we’ve got included many extra security options like the liner contained in the containment, passive decay warmth elimination system, containment filtered venting system, passive autocatalytic recombiners, and so on.
Just like the metal lining within the Kudankulam reactors?
From the ground to the wall … like in Kudankulam. We now have launched electrical penetration assemblies as an alternative of particular person cables. These electrical cables have modular elements, that are finished on the producers’ finish, introduced, and assembled right here. That may enhance leak tightness of the containment.
We now have launched a passive decay heat-removal system. In case of station blackout, if there isn’t any energy provide out there, it is going to make sure the cooling of the [fuel] core. We now have launched passive catalytic hydrogen recombiner models.
One of many vital modifications we’ve got made within the 700-MWe PHWRs is feeder interleaving. It has been made in all probability for the primary time on the earth. It ensures that there’s at all times water within the reactor even within the case of an off-normal situation. This distinctive characteristic is out there in our reactors.
Our 700-MWe reactors have all of the options out there primarily based on the working expertise inside our nation and elsewhere, and classes learnt from occasions that came about in different elements of the world. I can say that the 700-MWe PHWRs are among the many most secure reactors on the earth.
You talked about the NPCIL would construct solely 700-MWe PHWRs to any extent further and in fleet mode. What are the explanations for this determination?
I didn’t precisely say this. The electrical energy requirement in our nation is large. Our indigenously constructed largest reactor is 700-MWe. For main capability addition, we are going to go forward with the 700-MWe PHWRs. Nevertheless, if required, we might go for 220-MWe PHWRs, that are equally confirmed.
So, at occasions, not now, there could also be necessities from industries for smaller reactors. We’re prepared for it. However with 700-MWe reactors, we are going to get the economic system of scale.
Till now, we have been constructing two or 4 reactors at a time. However now, 9 reactors are below development at current. Ten reactors are in varied pre-project actions. So 19 reactors are below varied levels of implementation.
Are 19 reactors below development now?
Sure, as I already talked about, 19 reactors are below varied levels of implementation. NPCIL is able to taking over [for construction] these many reactors. To ramp up our electrical energy era capability, it’s higher to go for a fleet of reactors at a time. However we’re open to 220-MWe and 700-MWe reactors. The last word want is to extend the nuclear share within the nation on the earliest.
Will these 220-MWe reactors be small modular reactors (SMRs)? The development is to go for SMRs however nothing has been constructed to date.
A small reactor of 220 MWe per se just isn’t a small modular reactor. However sure, we will go for SMRs primarily based on our expertise in designing energy reactors. Immediately, we’ve got the confirmed expertise of 220 MWe and they are often deployed on the earliest. The manufacturing sector is mature for it. If a requirement comes for 220 MWe, it may be put in.
Numerous 700-MWe models are below development now. However we’re open to 220-MWe models as effectively.
When will Rajasthan Atomic Energy Station-7 (RAPS-7) of 700 MWe go important?
I’m anticipating commissioning of RAPS-7 within the subsequent yr.
How is the provision of pure uranium within the nation? To my data, no new mines have been opened. If sufficient pure uranium just isn’t out there within the nation, will you place the indigenous 700-MWe reactors below the Worldwide Atomic Power Company’s (IAEA) safeguards in order that they will get uranium from overseas?
We don’t envisage any downside for provide of gas for our nuclear energy reactors.
What’s the downside with Madras Atomic Energy Station -1 (MAPS-1) reactor at Kalpakkam? It has been shut down for a very long time.
MAPS-1 is a really outdated reactor. MAPS-1 and -2 have been working satisfactorily for a very long time. MAPS-2 was working at practically 230 MWe. [Its capacity is 220 MWe]. Since they’re outdated models, age-related points are there. We’re addressing them. A little bit upgradation must be finished. I’m anticipating MAPS-1 to come back on-line this monetary yr.
The TAPS-1 and -2 reactors in Tarapur are older reactors they usually have been working for greater than 50 years…
Sure, TAPS-1 and -2 are the oldest operational nuclear energy reactors on the earth. Presently, each are shut down and present process life extension and upgradation works. The primary unit will come on line subsequent yr.
What’s the newest progress on Kudankulam-3,4, 5 and 6? Enriched uranium gas bundles reached Kudankulam not too long ago from Russia.
The development work in these reactors is progressing effectively. A big [workforce] is engaged there, say, to the tune of 10,000 individuals. We predict these reactors to come back on-line progressively. We’re getting provides from the Russian Federation for these initiatives.
So far as gas is anxious, we’re working models 1 and a pair of on a 11-month gas cycle. With the brand new gas added now in Kudankulam unit 1, it’s working on an 18-month gas cycle. It means as soon as we load the brand new kind of gas, the reactor will function repeatedly for 18 months.
We’re getting the gas provide commonly. Each the reactors are working at good capability components. These models are producing an excellent quantity, of million models of unpolluted electrical energy, for the nation.
The PWRs that we’ve got developed and which use enriched uranium as gas propel our two nuclear-powered submarines. Will we construct industrial PWRs? A giant uranium enrichment facility is arising at Chitradurga in Karnataka.
So far as NPCIL is anxious, we’re primarily mandated to work on the PHWRs. However the NPCIL now has the expertise of development, commissioning, operation, and upkeep of VVER-1000 kind reactors [at Kudankulam], which can be helpful for engaged on PWR expertise.
Why is there a lot delay in implementing the nuclear energy initiatives at Jaitapur in Maharashtra and Kovvada in Andhra Pradesh, the place the French and the People have been to construct reactors? Are they insisting they won’t pay damages if there are accidents?
Discussions with the EDF [of France] and Westinghouse [of the U.S.] on technical points for Jaitapur and Kovvada are in progress.
The West Bengal Authorities has stated it won’t permit a nuclear energy challenge to come back up at Haripur. Have you ever discovered an alternate website to Haripur?
Website choice for establishing a nuclear energy plant is an ongoing exercise. Accordingly, the potential websites are recognized and evaluated in accordance with the regulatory codes and guides for his or her suitability.
Homi Bhabha envisioned a three-stage nuclear energy programme for India: the PHWRs within the first stage, the breeder reactors utilizing plutonium within the second, and the reactors utilizing thorium as gas within the third. Why the delay of so a few years in constructing the 300-MWe superior heavy water reactor, which is able to use thorium and uranium-233 as gas?
Nuclear is an evolving expertise. Many modifications are happening. In my expertise, in nuclear, one has to go gradual and regular. We now have matured the expertise in stage one in every of our three-stage nuclear energy programme. We’re going into the second stage. As soon as we mature that expertise, we are going to enter the third stage. It ought to be a gradual course of…
I don’t assume there’s any delay. We’re heading in the right direction. Our three-stage programme is the most effective on the earth. It’s self-sustaining. For the primary stage, all the things is out there for the Indian PHWRs.
As soon as we go to the third stage, we received’t need to get even gas [from outside]. Every thing can be out there in India. The thought is we ought to be self-sufficient in vitality safety. It is a gradual course of and a sequential course of.