Current Status of the Development of the Fast Reactor Fuel Cycle in India

Fasf breeder reactors with closed fuel cycle constitute the second stage of the three-stage nuclear power programme in India. A Prototype Fast Breeder, Reactor is being built at Kalpakkam, and is expected to be commissioned next year. A series of fast breeders, backed by the entire range of associated fuel cycle operations, would follow. For economical operation of the reactors on an industrial scale, very high burnups and reprocessing of short-cooled fuels are envisaged. In order to ensure that the power generation targets are achieved with safety, sustainability, and high availability factor of the plants, several innovations are being explored for incorporation in the fuel cycle. These include the use of different types of driver fuels, fuel fabrication routes, reprocessing flowsheets, and waste disposal matrices. These aspects are discussed in the paper