Despite deciding to import a series of light water reactors (LWR), India is committed to a three-stage nuclear programme and fast breeder reactors are important for its energy security, Minister of State for Science and Technology Prithiviraj Chavan said Sunday.
Speaking at the silver jubilee celebrations of Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) organised by Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) here, he said: “As we look forward to expand our nuclear energy programme with imported fuel and large imported reactors, let me assure you that there will be no compromise with or commitment to our three-stage nuclear programme, to our own research and to our own technology”.
A fast breeder reactor breeds more material for a nuclear fission reaction than it consumes and is key to India’s three-stage nuclear power programme.
Chavan said India has always taken the stand that “irradiated fuel should not be disposed as radioactive waste and that closing the fuel cycle through fuel reprocessing is absolutely essential for ensuring the sustainability of nuclear energy”.
According to International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) Deputy Director General Y.A.Sokolov, nuclear energy is an option which cannot be ignored in the quest to meet the world’s increasing energy demand while reducing the release of greenhouse gases.
He said today’s installed nuclear capacity across the globe amounts to some 370 GW, contributing around 14 percent of the world’s electricity generation.
He said LWRs are used to economically and safely produce nuclear electricity. Recycling of uranium and plutonium from the spent fuel is possible there, saving 20-30 percent of natural uranium consumption.
India committed to fast breeder reactor programme
