New FBRs to have provision of switching fuel

Chennai, Jan 30 (UNI) The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will construct four 500 MW Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) which would have the provision of converting it from Oxide fuel to metallic fuel, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) Director Dr Baldev Raj said here today.

Addressing his first press conference after being honoured with the Padmashri Award, he said two reactors would be constructed in IGCAR's Kalpakkam facility, while the location of the other two reactors would be decided soon.

The cost of each reactor, going by the present rates, would be around Rs 2,500 crore.

''Once the four FBRs are commissioned in 2017, we will able to provide power at Rs 2.50 per unit as against Rs 3.20 per unit to be supplied by the under-construction Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam'', he added.

''We will complete the pre-project activities by 2010 and the construction works will begin in 2011. The reactors are expected to be commissioned by 2017'', Dr Raj said.

The unqiue feature of the four FBRs was that inititally Oxide fuel would be used for producing power, before switching over to metallic fuel, which would be used for faster breeding.

India is expected to master the technology and produce metallic fuel by 2020. ''The new FBRs will be ready by 2017 and for the first three years Oxide fuel will be used before switching over to metallic fuel in 2020'', he added.

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