ATOMIC ENERGY PROGRAMME MAKES GREAT STRIDES
 
R. Chidambaram *
 
    Let us consider some events, which made news in the past few months. The nuclear power plants in the country registered a capacity factor of over 71% during 1997-98. On May 27, Unit-2 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant was made critical after bulk replacement of coolant channels, a high-tech feat accomplished at a competitive price and in a tight time-frame. In the middle of May, a consignment of 100 MT of heavy water left Mumbai port for South Korea. On May 27, 1998 the Prime Minister said in Parliament, "India is now a nuclear weapon State. This is a reality that cannot be denied. It is not a conferment that we seek; nor is it a status for others to grant. It is an endowment to the nation by our scientists and engineers."
 

Self Reliance

    All these events, and many more, point towards the maturity achieved by the Indian nuclear programme. Formulated by Homi Jehangir Bhabha with active support of Pandit Jawahar Lal Nehru, the Atomic Energy Programme in India is a mission oriented programme with self reliance as its motto.

    Over the years a broad multidisciplinary organisation incorporating research centres, industrial units, corporations and fully aided institutions has been set up. The organisational structure of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) provides for a strong linkage between basic research, technology development and exploitation. This linkage has led to the spectacular achievements in various fields and, today, we are self-reliant in all aspects of the nuclear fuel cycle from prospecting and mining of uranium to back-end of the fuel cycle, which involves reprocessing of spent fuel and nuclear waste management. In the light of the growing technology control regime in the area of nuclear energy, thorough indigenous capability is an invaluable asset. In fact, technology denial was a strong force, driving us to self-reliance. Synergy among the various units of the DAE and also with Indian industry helped in this drive.

    It may be recalled that in 1974 when Canadians walked out, leaving the second unit of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant incomplete, it was completed by our own people. Synergy among various Indian R&D institutions and Indian industry can overcome any technology gaps created by the recently announced sanctions by a few countries and should really become the platform to strengthen the technology transfer mechanism between Indian R&D and Indian industry.
 

Nuclear Organisations

    The nuclear power reactors are built and operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). Prospecting of the uranium is done by the Atomic Minerals Division (AMD) while mining is undertaken by the Uranium Corporation of India Ltd (UCIL). The heavy water is produced by the Heavy Water Board (HWB) and the fuel by the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC). Most of the R&D work which led to the setting up of these industrial units was done at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay. Some of the activities have now been taken over by other research centres such as Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam, Centre for Advanced Technology (CAT) at Indore and Variable Energy Cyclotron Centre (VECC) at Calcutta.
 

Nuclear Power Programme

    Efforts of the Department are directed to provide a long term solution to India"s power needs. The potential for power generation from all our oil, natural gas and hydel resources is only 534 GWe, while it is 40,000 GWe from our coal resources, 50,380 GWe from Uranium and 200,000 GWe from Thorium breeders. The power potential of non-conventional sources is minimal with wind (20 GWe), mini-micro hydel (10 GWe) and waves (79 GWe). The solar energy potential is massive with 600,000 GWe. However, at the current level of technology, non-conventional energy sources are not suitable for bulk generation. So, only options available to us are coal and nuclear and of the two nuclear fuel resources, it is thorium which is available in abundance. Therefore, we have to rely on thorium for long term energy security. A three stage nuclear power programme has been devised with the aim of thorium utilisation on a long term basis.

    The first stage comprising setting up of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) and associated fuel cycle facilities are already in the industrial domain. The second stage envisages setting up Fast Breeder Reactors (FBR), reprocessing plants and plutonium based fuel fabrication plants. Fast breeder reactors are required for multiplication of fissile inventory to establish a high power base for using thorium in the third stage of our programme. The third stage will be based on thorium-uranium-233 fuel system. Uranium-233 is to be obtained by irradiation of thorium in PHWRs and FBRs. To expedite transition to thorium based systems, an Advanced Heavy Water Reactor is being developed. Besides expediting transition to thorium, it will enable us to sustain some of the heavy water technologies which we have already acquired.

    To jump start the nuclear power programme, Boiling Water Reactors were set up in sixties at Tarapur near Mumbai and these are still in operation. Parallel to the three stage programme, we are looking at likely sources for import of nuclear technology. Such imports have to conform to the latest safety standards and should be economically attractive. The recent deal with Russian Federation for setting up two 1000 MWe units at Kundankulam is a step in this direction.
 

Heavy Water Reactors

    Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) were selected for the first stage of the programme due to best utilisation of limited uranium resource, higher plutonium yield and indigenous manufacture.

    The first two 220 MWe reactors of this design were built at Rawabhata near Kota in Rajasthan with Canadian collaboration. Subsequently, two units at Kalpakkam near Chennai, built fully indigenously, essentially follow the same design. Reactors at Narora (2x220 MWe) offered first opportunity to our engineers to evolve an indigenous design based on operating experience and other requirements such as stringent safety norms and seismic design. Two reactors with similar power rating (220 MWe) are also operational at Kakrapar.

    Four more 220 MWe PHWRs are in advanced stage of construction, two at Kaiga and two at Rawabhata. The design of 500 MWe PHWR is the next step in the process of evolution and the first two units based on this design are being set up at Tarapur. Technology for the manufacture of various components and equipments is now well established and has evolved through active collaboration between DAE and the industry.
 

Performance Improving

    As we gain experience and master technology, performance of our plants is improving. During 1995-96, average capacity factor of our plants was 60%, it improved to 67% in 1996-97 and to over 71% in 1997-98. Nuclear power plants have so far produced more than 120 billion units. We have accumulated 140 reactor-years of operation free of any incident involving release of radioactivity to the environment.

    Repair technology is a challenging area and we have achieved many successes. A few examples are repair of over-pressure relief device of RAPS-1, en-masse removal and replacement of coolant channels at RAPS-2, development of a system called BARCIS to carry out in-service inspection of coolant channels, development of a system to relocate garter springs which have been displaced from their positions and so on.
 

Fast Breeder Programme

    When the 40 MWt Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) attained criticality on October 18, 1985, India became the sixth country in the world after USA, UK ,the then USSR, France and Japan to build and operate a fast breeder reactor. The reactor now operates steadily at a power level of 10.5 MWt, the maximum possible with the smaller core being used. On July 1, 1997 the reactor was connected to the grid and is feeding power. FBTR uses indigenously developed (plutonium rich) mixed uranium carbide- plutonium carbide fuel which has functioned extremely well up to the current burn up of 40,000 MW days/ton. All the major components were manufactured through Indian Industry with very high standards of quality.

    FBTR has provided valuable experience with liquid metal Fast Breeder Reactor Technology and the confidence to embark upon the design and technology development of a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). Construction work on this is expected to begin by the end of the Ninth Plan.
 

Reprocessing

    Reprocessing and waste management have been integral part of our philosophy for the development of nuclear power in an environmentally benign manner. Development of fuel reprocessing technology in India began early and today, we have two plants to reprocess spent fuel. A third plant incorporating features like hybrid maintenance, concept in hot cells using servo-manipulators and engineered provisions for extending the life of the plant, is coming up at Kalpakkam.
 

Waste Management

    With total protection of the environment as an overriding consideration, management of radioactive waste has received high priority in our nuclear programme. Based on indigenous materials and capabilities, technology has been developed for the management of low and intermediate level wastes meeting the stringent regulatory requirements and standards. Plants for the management of all types of wastes have been set up and are operating successfully along with every nuclear facility in the country.

    Treatment of reprocessed wastes has received considerable attention because they contain nearly 99% of the activity generated in the nuclear fuel cycle. A long term action plan has been formulated for the management of these wastes. It envisages solidification of medium level wastes in a suitable matrix in reliable containers and burying them in totally water-proof concrete tile holes with protective barriers. The high level waste is immobilised by vitrification in glass matrix and doubly encapsulating the solidified mass in corrosion resistant containers called canisters. The sealed waste canisters are kept under continuous cooling during interim storage and surveillance in an engineered storage facility for 20 to 30 years. The ultimate disposal of the cooled solidified waste is proposed to be carried out in deep underground geological formations with added protection barriers.

    A Waste Immobilisation Plant (WIP) has been set up at Tarapur with high technology features like complete remote operation and maintenance. A facility of interim storage of the vitrified waste from this plant has also been built nearby. Based on the initial successes achieved during the early runs, one Waste Immobilisation Plant is under construction at Trombay and another one at Kalpakkam.

    Atomic energy programme in India has demonstrated that Indian scientists and engineers have the capability to translate laboratory research to technology development and exploitation. Today, the nuclear power plants are working well. We have developed expertise in repair technologies. Research reactors are producing radio-isotopes for use in health-care, industry and agriculture. Efforts are continuing to acquire advanced technologies such as lasers and accelerators. And India is now a State with nuclear weapons.
 

*  Chairman, Atomic Energy Commission