Nuclear Energy in India : Updates

[Gautam]

Fuel Loading Commences at Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Unit 7

RAPP-7 - the 3rd unit amid 16 indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors developed in India​

Posted On: 02 AUG 2024 4:20PM by PIB Mumbai
Mumbai, 02nd August 2024
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The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has announced that the Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) process for Unit 7 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP-7) has commenced today. This significant milestone follows the receipt of regulatory approval from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which was granted after rigorous safety and security evaluations.

Unit 7, part of the RAPP-7&8 project, which comprises two units each with a capacity of 700 MW, is now in the initial stages of its operational phase. This process will be succeeded by the First Approach to Criticality, marking the start of the fission chain reaction, and will eventually lead to the commencement of power generation. The unit is anticipated to begin commercial operations later this year.

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RAPP-8, the sister unit of RAPP-7, is progressing on schedule and is expected to come online in the following year.

RAPP-7 is the third unit in a series of 16 indigenous Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) being developed in India. The first two units, KAPP-3 and KAPP-4 at Kakrapar, Gujarat, began commercial operations in 2023-24. These PHWRs are equipped with advanced safety features, making them among the safest reactors globally.

About NPCIL

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is a Public Sector Enterprise of the Department of Atomic Energy and fully owned by the Government of India.

Fuel Loading Commences at Rajasthan Atomic Power Project Unit 7

AERB Greenlights RAPP Unit 7

By VENKATACHARI JAGANNATHAN
September 13, 2024, 18:04 IST

AERB's permission for RAPP-7 paves the way for the subsequent phases of reactor commissioning leading to its commercial electricity generation.

IMAGE: The Rajasthan Atomic Power Project.

India's nuclear regulator, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), has given its nod for initiation of controlled nuclear fission reaction in the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) Unit 7.

According to the AERB, the permission for commencing nuclear fission was given after a satisfactory outcome of necessary safety reviews.

"AERB's permission follows an extensive regulatory oversight process ensuring compliance to all relevant safety and regulatory requirements through systemic and structured safety reviews complemented with regulatory inspections," says AERB Chairman D K Shukla.

"AERB's resident site observer team at the site will continue to monitor the commissioning activities," Shukla added.

The AERB permission issued is for addition of heavy water to the moderator system and initiation of a controlled nuclear fission reaction, technically termed as First Approach to Criticality and subsequent conduct of low power physics experiments.

The permission is granted after a comprehensive safety review of the reactor's design, construction and operational preparedness followed by deliberations by the AERB board.

The green signal was given on September 9, 2024, AERB added.

IMAGE: A view of India's first indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric nuclear power reactor that has been established at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station.

RAPP-7 is located in the Rawatbhata district of Rajasthan and is the third unit of the indigenously designed and built 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR).

The other two units of the same design are the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) units 3 and 4 located in Gujarat, which are currently operational.

AERB's permission for RAPP-7 paves the way for the subsequent phases of reactor commissioning leading to its commercial electricity generation.

Nuclear fuel began to be loaded into the reactor on August 1, 2024.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), India's atomic power plant operator, said commercial production of power by Unit 7 will happen this year.

The atomic power major also said the other 700 MW plant (Unit 8) is expected to come online next year. RAPP 7 is the part of the 16 PHWRs with 700 MW capacity being built in the country.

In July, the 220 MW Unit 3 at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station was connected to the grid after undergoing major renovation and modernisation -- replacement of coolant channel, feeder and other upgrades.

Unit 3 or RAPS 3 has now enhanced safety measures and 30 years of extended life, NPCIL said.

Commercial power generation began at RAPS 3 in June 2000 and was in operation for 22 years when it was taken up for renovation and modernization in 2022.

The other nuclear fuel related development is the starting of fuel making for the 1,000 MW Units 3 and 4 being built at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu by the Russian company TVEL Fuel Company.

According to Russia's integrated nuclear power major Rosatom, the fuel supply contract with India embraces the entire lifetime of the VVER-1000 model power units from the starting loading of the reactor cores.

Already two 1,000 MW plants -- Units 1 and 2 -- are functioning at Kudankulam. During the operation of the two units, Russian and Indian specialists have accomplished a large amount of work to improve their efficiency by introducing advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles.

Since 2022, Kudankulam nuclear power plants have been supplied with nuclear fuel of improved design TVS-2M.

That apart, in March this year, India entered the second phase of the three-stage nuclear power program with the 'core loading' at the first indigenous 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) set up in Kalpakkam near Chennai. The core loading process includes fuel loading.

The 500 MW PFBR is built by the fast breeder reactor company Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd.

AERB Greenlights RAPP Unit 7

 

[_Anonymous_]

There were some talks ongoing with Russia to set up fuel fabrication & processing plant in India.

Do we lack expertise in this field that we require Russian assistance in setting up a fuel fabrication & processing plant ?

What about our expertise in reprocessing spent N fuel especially plutonium which has a direct bearing on NW production ?

 

[Gautam]

Do we lack expertise in this field that we require Russian assistance in setting up a fuel fabrication & processing plant ?

No. All our nuclear plants get fuel processed at Indian facilities. Except the Russian VVER-1000 plants. Those get fuel bundles fully assembled from Russia. Russia will supply fuel for the entire lifetime of those VVER units. That was part of the agreement.

Some years ago, Russia started to push for sale of a few more units of the VVER in the Kudankulam power station. This time the Russians wanted to sell the uprated VVER-1200 units. India wanted Russia to set up the fuel fabrication plant in India with a JV partner. This fuel plant would produce & supply fuel for both VVER-1000 & VVER-1200 units in India.

Russia was reluctant. That and some price escalation halted the negotiations for some time. Russia is a major exporter of nuclear fuel. Unlike Canada, Australia or Kazakhstan that sell raw Uranium, Russia typically sells enriched fuel assemblies. They make hefty profits from it. This is why Russia was reluctant to set up a fuel fabrication plant in India.

Situation has changed since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Now Russia is unable to continue that lucrative trade through their traditional route. If they had a fuel production line in India this would be similar to owning Nyara Energy & refining Russian crude through that.

Now it seems the Russians want a shell corporation in India to re-export fuel fabricated in Russia. They want an Indian govt. owned public sector entity to be the shell company. It is a lot harder to sanction an Indian govt. owned company without getting into a conflict with New Delhi. New Delhi is reluctant to offer such a shell company. To sweeten the deal the Russians are offering their "next gen nuclear fuel" which is apparently more energy dense.

India to get next-generation nuclear fuel, says Russian Nuclear Agency chief; calls nation a key partner

New Delhi is insisting on a fuel production line in India otherwise no more than two VVER-1200 are going to be ordered. With more western sanctioned piling up on Russia, New Delhi is smelling blood. Delhi is now arguing that a fabrication plant in India could allow Russia to export fuel to all their global customers from India.

Let's see where this goes.

What about our expertise in reprocessing spent N fuel especially plutonium which has a direct bearing on NW production ?

Materials for nuclear bombs are produced from research reactors & from the IPHWR family. More IPHWRs we have more weapons grade plutonium & tritium production we are going to have.

 

[_Anonymous_]

Materials for nuclear bombs are produced from research reactors & from the IPHWR family. More IPHWRs we have more weapons grade plutonium & tritium production we are going to have.

Thanks for the detailed reply. My query was different. Perhaps I didn't articulate it well .

Do we have the NECESSARY expertise IN HOUSE to reprocess spent N fuel into fissile material irrespective we can't use it due to those N reactors being under IAEA safeguards , especially with reference to conversion to plutonium & enriched Uranium ?

How do we extract plutonium & weapons grade enriched Uranium or other fissile material from the IPHWR ?

 

[mamiam23]

Thanks for the detailed reply. My query was different. Perhaps I didn't articulate it well .

Do we have the NECESSARY expertise IN HOUSE to reprocess spent N fuel into fissile material irrespective we can't use it due to those N reactors being under IAEA safeguards , especially with reference to conversion to plutonium & enriched Uranium ?

How do we extract plutonium & weapons grade enriched Uranium or other fissile material from the IPHWR ?

We already have that expertise for decades. IAEA is for those foreign origin reactors and what to do with our own reactors is our own wish.

 

[_Anonymous_]

We already have that expertise for decades. IAEA is for those foreign origin reactors and what to do with our own reactors is our own wish.

Yes . I confused reprocessing of the fissile material from plants under IAEA safeguards to the ones under our own control.

In the event last I read about the this topic there're only 2 reactors dedicated to producing weapons grade uranium & plutonium - Dhruva & CIRRUS now that Apsara has been de commissioned. That's 140 MW in total.

No clue if the PFBR reactors & it's successors are under our control or the control of the IAEA.

 

[mamiam23]

Yes . I confused reprocessing of the fissile material from plants under IAEA safeguards to the ones under our own control.

In the event last I read about the this topic there're only 2 reactors dedicated to producing weapons grade uranium & plutonium - Dhruva & CIRRUS now that Apsara has been de commissioned. That's 140 MW in total.

No clue if the PFBR reactors & it's successors are under our control or the control of the IAEA.

You have to read more. There is no such thingy as "Control" but rather Inspection and Reporting by IAEA to Big Brothers. You need to first understand the purpose of IAEA. Suppose say Indonesia wants Nuclear Power and say USA doesn't want it to have any kind of Nuclear Reactors since they are often precursor to Nuclear Weapons Program. But, obviously USA's enemies say Russia or China won't follow its orders and will build Nuclear Power Plants and that may result in Nuclear Weapons Program. So, if they close themselves someone gonna do it and there is a chance for host country to weaponize it. Instead some dude named Eisenhower thought it is better to open up ourselves but restrict the reactors technology by implementing some sort of regular inspection. So now Russia may construct a Nuclear Reactor say in Turkey or Indonesia say for example and IAEA inspects it regularly to prevent weaponizing them.

PFBR is Indigenous Program and nothing to do with any IAEA thingy. Not all reactors in India are under IAEA.

 

[_Anonymous_]

You have to read more. There is no such thingy as "Control" but rather Inspection and Reporting by IAEA to Big Brothers. You need to first understand the purpose of IAEA. Suppose say Indonesia wants Nuclear Power and say USA doesn't want it to have any kind of Nuclear Reactors since they are often precursor to Nuclear Weapons Program. But, obviously USA's enemies say Russia or China won't follow its orders and will build Nuclear Power Plants and that may result in Nuclear Weapons Program. So, if they close themselves someone gonna do it and there is a chance for host country to weaponize it. Instead some dude named Eisenhower thought it is better to open up ourselves but restrict the reactors technology by implementing some sort of regular inspection. So now Russia may construct a Nuclear Reactor say in Turkey or Indonesia say for example and IAEA inspects it regularly to prevent weaponizing them.

PFBR is Indigenous Program and nothing to do with any IAEA thingy. Not all reactors in India are under IAEA.

I see . Thanks for the update. I really wasn't aware of the activities of the IAEA. Btw what does IAEA stand for ?

 

[Gautam]

In the event last I read about the this topic there're only 2 reactors dedicated to producing weapons grade uranium & plutonium - Dhruva & CIRRUS now that Apsara has been de commissioned. That's 140 MW in total.

That's what I was trying to answer:

Materials for nuclear bombs are produced from research reactors & from the IPHWR family.

The research reactors have the primary objective of making weapons grade plutonium & uranium. Electrical power produced by those reactors are just a good side effect.

Whereas the IPHWR family's primary job is to make electrical power. Production of weapon grade uranium, plutonium & tritium is just happy coincidence. It is just that the IPHWR family are much larger that the research reactors & have been deployed in good numbers. Thus, the amount of bomb making materials they produce by "coincidence" is also much larger.

No clue if the PFBR reactors & it's successors are under our control or the control of the IAEA.

No IAEA inspections on any of the IPHWR, CLWR, PFBR/FBR, AHWR etc. Domestic designed reactor + domestically processed & fabricated fuel = No foreign oversight.

 

[Gautam]

Indigenous fast breeder reactor set to become critical: AEC chief

Srinivas Laxman / Sep 18, 2024, 00:10 IST

MUMBAI: In the 70th year of its formation, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will cross an important milestone with India’s first 500MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) near Kalpakkam, close to Chennai, set to become critical.

Speaking on Monday at the 68th general conference of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) in Vienna, Ajit Kumar Mohanty, chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), said the reactor is undergoing core loading which will pave the way for first approach to criticality.

Mohanty underscored that the PFBR is based on closed-fuel cycle, which is the cornerstone of India’s nuclear program. The reactor is expected to go into operation in December, according to information from several sources.

Referring to capacity addition, Mohanty told the delegates that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) has begun commercial operation of two units of the indigenous 700MW pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station in Gujarat in the last one year.

“Also, initial fuel loading is complete in another unit of 700MW PHWR at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station,” he said, adding that towards strengthening the fuel supply chain, a green field nuclear fuel complex at Kota in Rajasthan has now entered an advanced commissioning stage, which will mainly cater to the requirement of the forthcoming fleet of indigenously built PHWRs.

“As India sets its path to establish itself as a developed nation (Viksit Bharat), the govt of India envisages a significantly greater role for nuclear energy in the next two decades to meet the dual challenges of energy security and balancing climate goals,” Mohanty said.

In pursuit of this goal, the govt recently said it will partner with the private sector in developing and setting up compact nuclear reactors — Bharat Small Reactors — which will generate electricity on a smaller scale and have the advantage of being set up faster and be cost-effective, too.

Mohanty told the conference that the Heavy Water Board (HWB) is exporting heavy water to several countries for non-power applications, including medical applications and healthcare.

“At the dawn of the new era of nuclear renaissance, India stands ready to partner with the agency (IAEA) and other like-minded member states to harness the potential of nuclear energy and contribute to a future defined by growth, innovation, and energy security,” Mohanty said.

Indigenous fast breeder reactor set to become critical: AEC chief | India News - Times of India.

 

[Gautam]

Centre Accords Approval For NPCIL-NTPC JV Company 'ASHVINI' To Take Up Nuclear Power Generation

Swarajya Staff
Sep 18, 2024, 12:47 PM | Updated 12:55 PM IST

NTPC-NPCIL JV to soon invite bids for Banswara nuclear project. (Unsplash)

In a significant move to enhance the country's nuclear power capacity, the government has approved the formation of a joint venture, ASHVINI, between the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC).

The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) officially handed over the approval document for the joint venture, Anushakti Vidyut Nigam Limited (ASHVINI), to top officials of both state-run power companies on Tuesday, according to an official statement.

This will pave the way for pooling resources in terms of finance and expertise for the rapid expansion of nuclear power capacity to help India achieve its net zero goals by 2070.

ASHVINI, with a shareholding ratio of 51:49 between NPCIL and NTPC, will undertake nuclear power generation and associated activities as per the Atomic Energy Act of 1962. As a subsidiary of NPCIL, the venture has been authorized to build, own, and operate nuclear power plants nationwide.

Its first project will be the implementation of the 4x700 MW PHWR indigenous (Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors) at Mahi-Banswara, Rajasthan.

In addition, ASHVINI is expected to construct the 1400 MW Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project in Chutka, Madhya Pradesh.

https://swarajyamag.com/economy/cen...y-ashvini-to-take-up-nuclear-power-generation

 

[Gautam]

Third indigenous pressurized heavy water reactor attains criticality: NPCIL

RAPP Unit 7 is expected to start generating power later this year

Updated - September 20, 2024
09:28 pm IST
The Hindu Bureau

A general view of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project, Rawatbhata, January 15, 2023 | Photo Credit: Pragna Jyoti Mandal (CC BY-SA 4.0)

Unit 7 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) at Rawatbhata in Chittorgarh district achieved criticality, or the start of controlled fission chain reaction, on the night of September 19, according to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, Ltd. (NPCIL).

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had earlier cleared the reactor to make the first approach to criticality. The event was recorded at 10.42 pm on Thursday.

RAPP-7 is the third reactor to go critical in a series of 16 indigenous pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW each the national nuclear establishment is setting up. The first two PHWRs to become critical before RAPP-7 were Units 3 and 4 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station in Gujarat, in 2020 and 2023 respectively.

“Criticality for the first time on the project timeline marks the completion of construction phase and commencement of the operation phase,” NPCIL Executive Director (Corporate Communication & Corporate Planning) B.V.S. Sekhar said in a statement. “Various experiments/tests will now be conducted before connecting it to the grid. Thereafter the power level will be raised in steps to full power, in line with the clearances of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.”

“RAPP-7 is expected to start generation this year, followed by RAPP-8 in the next year,” the statement added.

The Nuclear Power Corporation currently operates 24 reactors with a total capacity of 8,180 MW while eight more units with a total capacity of 6,800 MW are under construction.

Third indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor attains criticality: NPCIL

 

[Gautam]

India Backs Small Nuclear Reactors to Power Heavy Industry

The public-private partnership will build up to 50 reactors​

By Edd Gent
19 Sep 2024
Edd Gent is a Contributing Editor for IEEE Spectrum.

India will build a fleet of small nuclear reactors based on a class of 220-megawatt pressurized heavy water reactors like this one based at Rajasthan Atomic Power Station. Pallava Bagla/Corbis/Getty Images.

In an effort to meet net-zero targets, India plans to build a large fleet of small nuclear reactors to power hard-to-decarbonize industries like steel and cement.

During her budget speech in July, Finance Minister Nirmala Sitaraman unveiled plans to develop the 220-megawatt Bharat Small Reactor (BSR) in partnership with private industry. Then in late August, Amit Sharma, CEO of Tata Consulting Engineers, told local media that the company was collaborating with the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) on the BSR project, with plans to deploy 40 to 50 of these new reactors over the coming decade.

The reactors will be a redesigned version of India’s 220-MW pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR), which has been in operation since the early 1980s. The program came about following requests from domestic heavy industries looking for ways to reduce their climate impact, says Anil Kakodkar, former chairman and current member of India’s Atomic Energy Commission.

“Industry players have been expressing a lot of interest in having a captive nuclear power plant for their use,” Kakodkar says. “Sensitivity about carbon emissions has gone up, and companies whose emissions are hard to abate are particularly conscious of it, because it’s going to hurt them if they cannot bring down the carbon footprint of their products.”

Industry turns to small nuclear reactors

Diminutive reactors have become fashionable in recent years, with the global nuclear industry promoting “small modular reactors” (SMRs) as a cheaper and safer alternative to large nuclear power plants. With capacities below 300 MW and a standardized, modular design that allows the bulk of the reactor to be prefabricated in a factory, SMRs are billed as quicker and less expensive to build. Developers also frequently claim they will be safer than previous generations of nuclear reactors.

Despite the supposed benefits, the idea hasn’t yet translated into real-world deployments. Last year the first planned SMR in the United States was cancelled due to rising costs and lack of customers.

But India’s BSR program has little in common with SMRs being developed elsewhere, says Kakodkar. Most of the world’s SMR projects involve designing brand new reactors, which is inevitably expensive and can lead to unexpected setbacks and delays. India’s BSR program differs in that it is simply an update of the already mature 220-MW PHWR technology, of which there are already 14 units operating at five sites around the country, says Kakodkar. (India also has an SMR development program.)

“In terms of capital cost per megawatt, [PHWRs] are very competitive,” Kakodkar adds. “And in terms of safety, some of these reactors have, in fact, made a world record at times for longest uninterrupted operating run. Their performance has been excellent.” A 220-MW reactor at India’s Kaiga power station held the world record for the longest run until 2020.

BSR reactors to reduce carbon emissions

In redesigning these plants, the DAE and Tata are primarily focused on improving the safety of the reactor so that the exclusion zone—an area around the reactor that must be left free of development to lessen the impact of any accident—can be reduced. Currently, this zone has a radius of 1 kilometer, making it difficult to install nuclear reactors on existing industrial sites. Existing reactors have a double containment system consisting of a pre-stressed concrete reactor building surrounded by an additional reinforced concrete structure. To shrink the exclusion zone, Tata plans to add a metallic liner to these safeguards.

Modularization is not a particular focus of the project, says Kakodkar, though he points out that most reactors feature some amount of modularization. “It is not an exclusive feature of SMRs,” he says. “Even in the large nuclear power plants, there are several levels of modularization done where you try to enhance the factory production and minimize the work to be done at the site.”

Perhaps the biggest change the BSR program will bring about is the increased involvement of private industry in India’s highly regulated nuclear sector. Currently, reactors are financed by the government and designed, constructed, and operated by the government-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), with private companies involved in supplying components and manufacturing. The BSR program envisages private companies financing and constructing reactors to power energy-intensive industrial processes like steel or cement making, says Kakodkar, though they would still be operated by NCPIL.

Saurabh Todi, a policy analyst at the think tank Takshashila Institution, says the demand for captive nuclear power is there. With the European Union due to implement carbon tariffs in 2026, and other developed economies discussing similar policies, Indian exporters are looking for ways to reduce their emissions.

But allowing more private involvement in the industry will require changes to India’s Atomic Energy Act, which could take time. It’s also unclear how much control the country’s nuclear establishment is willing to cede. “If there are a lot of restrictions and it is not sufficiently deregulated, we might not see as much adoption as we are expecting,” says Todi. “We might not reform enough for it to be attractive.”

India’s nuclear plan for net zero

India has regularly over-promised and under-delivered on nuclear rollouts, most recently claiming that nuclear plants would be producing 20,000 MW by 2020, but the country currently produces just over 8,000 MW. Likewise, the scale and timeline of the new BSR deployments don’t seem feasible, says M.V. Ramana, a professor of public policy at the University of British Columbia who specializes in nuclear energy. “The nuclear industry has always promised large numbers of reactors,” says Ramana. “That’s the only way they can keep themselves in the public consciousness.”

More importantly, small reactors tend to cost more per unit of power than larger ones, he adds, because they can’t take advantage of economies of scale. That’s why most countries’ nuclear programs, including India’s, have progressively increased the capacity of their reactors.

But greater involvement of the private sector could help drive down costs and speed up delivery, says Kakodkar. Standardization of the reactor design, the use of newer construction techniques, and better project management are likely to improve on what is already a mature and commercially successful reactor design, he says. “Their economic performance is very good, and the tariffs are competitive,” he adds. “If the project implementation becomes more efficient, it will become even more competitive.”

India Backs Small Nuclear Reactors to Power Heavy Industry