DAE to set up eight 700 MW PHWRs

Chennai, Apr 9 (UNI) The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) will set up eight 700 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) in the 11th Five Year Plan, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd Chairman S K Jain announced today.

Talking to reporters on the sidelines of an international symposium on Advances in Stainless Steel here, he said the DAE had also identified the site for locating these PHWRs.

'The Union Environment and Forest Ministry has given clearance for four reactors and the construction design is being readied. The groundwork will start after getting approval from the Centre', Dr Jain, who is also CMD for BHAVINI, which is constructing the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, said.

All the eight reactors would be launched in the next five years.

He said the DAE was also mulling at the idea of setting up ten more 1,000 MW PHWRs to meet the additional requirements of DAE.

Mr Jain said three more Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) and one Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) would be set up. While two of the three FBRs would be co-located alongside the PFBR at Kalpakkam, the site for the other FBR would be finalised soon.

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director S Banerjee, who inaugurated the symposium, said design for the AHWR was complete and the process of drawing the engineering design had commenced.

UNI