In India, the nuclear power programme focuses on different types of nuclear reactors, each with unique features and roles in supporting the country’s energy needs. Here are the key types of reactors and their features.
1. Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR)
- Features: PHWRs use heavy water (deuterium oxide) as both a moderator and a coolant. They are fuelled by natural uranium and can be refuelled without shutdown.
- Example: Kakrapar Atomic Power Station
- Significance: India’s first PHWR, designed to use indigenous resources like thorium, forms a key part of the country’s energy independence strategy.
2. Boiling Water Reactor (BWR)
- Features: BWRs use ordinary water as both coolant and moderator. The water boils inside the reactor, generating steam directly in the reactor vessel, which drives the turbines.
- Example: Tarapur Atomic Power Station
- Significance: BWRs were India’s first reactors, imported from the United States, and represent one of the earliest implementations of nuclear power in the country.
3. Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR)
- Features: FBRs use a fast neutron spectrum to convert fertile material, like uranium-238 or thorium-232, into fissile fuel. They do not require a moderator and often use liquid sodium as a coolant.
- Example: Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam
- Significance: FBRs are crucial to India’s long-term energy plans, as they can efficiently use thorium and increase the availability of nuclear fuel by breeding more fuel than they consume.
4. Pressurized Water Reactor (PWR)
- Features: PWRs use ordinary water under high pressure as both a coolant and a moderator. The coolant is kept under pressure to prevent it from boiling.
- Example: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant
- Significance: India imports PWRs for international collaborations. These reactors form part of India’s strategic expansion in nuclear power using proven international designs.
5. Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR)
- Features: AHWRs are designed to use thorium, which India has in abundance. These reactors feature advanced safety mechanisms, such as passive safety systems that work without operator intervention or external power.
- Example: Planned at BARC (Bhabha Atomic Research Centre)
- Significance: The AHWR represents India’s forward-thinking approach to harnessing thorium as a fuel, part of its goal to achieve long-term sustainability in nuclear energy.
Each of these reactors plays a vital role in India’s comprehensive nuclear programme, aimed at ensuring energy security while focusing on sustainability and self-reliance.