First of its kind prototype-breeder reactor to be commissioned by September 2026

NEW DELHI: India's first prototype-breeder reactor in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam is set to be commissioned next year marking the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme aiming to recycle spent fuel to reduce the inventory of radioactive waste.

According to officials, this comes nearly two years after the nuclear regulator's nod.

The first of its kind nuclear reactor is being developed in Kalpakkam to use plutonium-based mixed oxide as fuel and liquid sodium as coolant. It will also utilise the spent fuel of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors, which form the mainstay of nuclear power in India at present.

While the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) operates nuclear power plants in the country, the PFBR in Kalpakkam is being developed by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (Bhavini).

"Bhavini's 500 MW PFBR is in the advanced stage of integrated commissioning, with expected first criticality by 2025-26," Department of Atomic Energy officials recently told the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology.

They had told the committee that the first criticality of the PFBR was expected to be achieved in March and the plant would be completed by September 2026.

Last year in March, Prime Minister Narendra Modi was also present during the commencement of core loading in the nuclear reactor.

Later in July, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted permission for loading of fuel, first approach to criticality and conducting low-power physics experiments for the PFBR.

PFBRs (Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors ) play a vital role in India’s nuclear energy strategy, as the spent fuel from these reactors will be repurposed to fuel thorium-based reactors in the third stage of the country’s closed fuel cycle.

The government has unveiled an ambitious nuclear energy mission targeting 100 GW of electricity generation from nuclear sources.

Currently, India’s installed nuclear power capacity is 8.18 GW. Another 7.30 GW worth of nuclear projects are either under construction or nearing commissioning, while an additional 7.00 GW has been approved and is in the pre-project phase.

With the completion of these projects, the country’s nuclear power capacity is projected to rise to 22.48 GW by 2031–32.

Looking further ahead, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) plans to expand capacity by 15.40 GW using indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors and another 17.60 GW through Light Water Reactors developed in collaboration with international partners, aiming for a total capacity of 55 GW.

In addition, Bhavini is expected to contribute 3.80 GW through Fast Breeder Reactors, with the remaining capacity being fulfilled by Small Modular Reactors, Bharat Small Reactors, and other next-generation nuclear technologies developed in partnership with the private sector.