Construction of first heavy water reactor in 2007

Chidambaram (Tamil Nadu), Jan 4: The construction of India's first advanced heavy water reactor (AHWR) using thorium as fuel will begin later this year as part of the country's indigenous nuclear programme, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar today said.

''The 300 MW reactor will take about 5-6 years to complete,'' Mr Kakodkar told reporters on the sidelines of the on-going 94th Indian Science Congress here.

''The cost of the project will be about Rs 5-6 crore per MW,'' he said after making his presentation, 'Role of Nuclear Power in India; Product Mix'.

Without disclosing the location of the project, he said it would be around a waterbody or near the coast.

He said the project was undergoing pre-licencing review, and ''we hope to soon get the licence''.

Earlier at the presentation, he made a strong case for indigenous development of technology based on domestic fuel resources.

He said fast breeder reactors and thorium reactors were the key to meet India's energy requirements.

India cannot afford to plan an economy on the basis of large scale import of energy sources and technology, he added.

UNI