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L'Inde franchit un « pas considérable » dans son programme nucléaire civil

Connaissance des Énergies avec AFP le 07 avril 2026

L'Inde a annoncé avoir mis au point un réacteur nucléaire expérimental qui a produit sa première réaction en chaîne, nouvelle étape vers l'indépendance du géant d'Asie du Sud en matière de combustible atomique.

Vastes réserves de thorium

Ce prototype de réacteur à neutrons rapides (FBR pour l'acronyme anglais) construit à Kalpakkam (sud) n'a toutefois pas encore atteint le stade opérationnel où il produit de l'électricité, a précisé le gouvernement.

"Aujourd'hui, l'Inde a accompli un pas considérable en matière de nucléaire civil", a salué le Premier ministre Narendra Modi lundi sur X, ajoutant que ce type de technologie permettrait d'exploiter les "vastes réserves de thorium" - un combustible nucléaire - du pays. "Ce réacteur avancé, capable de produire plus de combustible qu'il n'en consomme, démontre nos capacités scientifiques et la puissance de nos ingénieurs", a-t-il ajouté.

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Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu attains First Criticality

Posted On: 07 APR 2026 Delhi

In a landmark achievement for India’s nuclear energy programme, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has successfully attained first criticality (start of controlled fission chain reaction) on 6th April 2026 at 08:25 PM marking a historic step in providing long-term energy security and advancing indigenous nuclear technology capabilities.

The criticality was achieved in the presence of Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, DAE & Chairman, AEC, Shri Sreekumar. G. Pillai, Director, IGCAR, Shri Allu Ananth, CMD-In-Charge, BHAVINI and Shri K.V. Suresh Kumar, Former CMD, BHAVINI & Homi Sethna Chair after meeting all the stipulations of the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), which had issued clearance after a rigorous review of safety of the plant systems.

The technology development & design of PFBR was indigenously done by Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), an R&D Centre of the Department of Atomic Energy, and was built & commissioned by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI), a PSU under the Department of Atomic Energy.

Fast Breeder Reactors are a cornerstone of India’s long-term nuclear strategy. Unlike conventional thermal reactors, the PFBR uses Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide (MOX) fuel. The core of PFBR is surrounded by a blanket of Uranium-238. Fast neutrons convert fertile Uranium-238 into fissile Plutonium-239, enabling the reactor to produce more fuel than it consumes. The reactor is designed to eventually use Thorium-232 in the blanket. Through transmutation, Thorium-232 will be converted into Uranium-233, which will fuel the third stage of India’s nuclear power programme.

This unique capability significantly enhances the utilization of nuclear fuel resources and enables the country to extract far greater energy from its limited uranium reserves while also preparing for large-scale use of thorium in the future.

With the achievement of first criticality, India moves closer to realizing the full potential of its three-stage nuclear power programme. Fast breeder technology forms the vital bridge between the current fleet of pressurized heavy water reactors and the future deployment of thorium-based reactors, leveraging the country’s abundant thorium resources for long-term clean energy generation.

Achieving this milestone demonstrates the strength of India’s indigenous design, engineering and manufacturing ecosystem. The reactor incorporates advanced safety systems, high-temperature liquid sodium coolant technology and a closed fuel cycle approach that enables recycling of nuclear materials, thereby improving sustainability and reducing waste.
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Excavation work approved for India's Mahi Banswara units

Friday, 27 March 2026

India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has approved the start of activities towards excavation for construction of the Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Nuclear Power Project units 1 and 2.

The permission, announced on Thursday, has been issued to Anushakti Vidyut Nigam Limited (Ashvini) for the 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors planned at the plant, in the Banswara district of Rajasthan.

Ashvini is a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (51%) and National Thermal Power Corporation (49%) formed in 2024. Construction consent was issued for all four planned units at the Mahi Banswara plant last year.

The project is part of India's fleet mode initiative to build ten identical 700 MWe reactors at various locations across India under uniform design and procurement plans, an approach the Indian government says will bring in cost efficiencies and speed deployment, while consolidating operational expertise.
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First concrete for Kaiga 5 & 6 in India approved

Thursday, 26 February 2026

India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board has given its consent for the first pour of concrete for Kaiga units 5 and 6 - which are both 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors.


There are already four smaller-capacity units at the Kaiga plant (Image: Department of Atomic Energy, India)

According to the official notification of the consent, the present status of the project is that "Excavation activities for identified safety-related structures at Kaiga-5&6 have been completed. Post-excavation investigations for Nuclear Building, Control Building and Station Auxiliary Building have been completed and are nearing completion for other structures. Preparatory activities for First Pour of Concrete are in progress".

In April 2025 Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) presented a purchase order for the contract to build Kaiga units 5 and 6 to Megha Engineering & Infrastructure Ltd in the first major nuclear contract for the Hyderabad-based company. The INR12,800 crore (about USD1.5 billion) engineering, procurement and construction contract for the two 700 MWe nuclear reactors was the biggest order placed by NPCIL. (1 crore is 10 million).
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Kaiga nuclear power plant has four existing 202 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor units, which were connected to the grid between 1999 and 2011.

India’s Rajasthan unit 7 reaches full power

Wednesday, 11 February 2026

Rajasthan nuclear power plant’s unit 7 is the third of sixteen 700 MW Indian-designed pressurised heavy water reactors being built in the country.



"The milestone stands as a testament to engineering excellence, strong teamwork and institutional synergy, reinforcing NPCIL’s role in strengthening India’s clean, reliable and self-reliant energy future. A proud moment for NPCIL, powering India with confidence and excellence."

The company said that the achievement "establishes the robustness of the NPCIL’s 700 MW PHWR design and the capabilities of NPCIL and Indian industries".

Unit 7 reached first criticality in September 2024 and was connected to the grid in March 2025. Once a new unit has been connected to the grid, it undergoes a process known as power ascension testing when its power levels are gradually raised - under approval from the regulator - until it reaches full capacity, as unit 7 did on Tuesday.

The unit follows Kakrapar 3 and 4 in a planned fleet of 700 MWe PHWRs: unit 3 achieved first criticality in July 2020, was connected to the grid in January 2021 and was declared to be in commercial operation in July 2023. Unit 4, which reached first criticality in December 2023, was connected to the grid in February 2024 and entered commercial operation in March 2024.

A second 700 MWe unit, RAPP-8, is also under construction at the Rajasthan site at Rawatbhata, which is already home to six operating PHWRs with a total capacity of 1,180 MW. NPCIL said light water commissioning of the eighth unit is in progress.

India's government has sanctioned the "fleet mode" construction of further 700 MWe units at Kaiga in Karnataka; Gorakhpur in Haryana; Chutka in Madhya Pradesh; and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan. India's ambition is to have at least 100 GW of nuclear energy capacity by 2047 to support its energy transition efforts.

L'Inde passe une loi ouvrant le nucléaire civil au secteur privé

Connaissance des Énergies avec AFP le 18 décembre 2025

Le Parlement indien a adopté jeudi une loi visant à ouvrir la production d'énergie nucléaire civile aux entreprises privées, dans le cadre de l'ambitieux plan du gouvernement pour quasi tripler sa production d'énergie nucléaire en six ans.

L'Inde reste fortement dépendante du charbon, qui représente 75% de sa production totale d'électricité, pour répondre à une demande énergétique en forte augmentation.

Les coupures d'électricité sont fréquentes dans le pays le plus peuplé du monde (1,4 milliard d'habitants), où la demande énergétique croît avec le développement économique et de la classe moyenne.

Cette loi "marque un tournant dans notre paysage technologique" et ouvre également "de nombreuses opportunités" pour le secteur privé, a déclaré le Premier ministre Narendra Modi.

"Qu'il s'agisse d'alimenter en toute sécurité l'intelligence artificielle ou de permettre une fabrication écologique, elle donne un élan décisif à un avenir énergétique propre pour le pays et le monde", a ajouté M. Modi dans un communiqué.

"Le moment est idéal pour investir, innover et construire en Inde", a-t-il souligné.

En novembre, le bureau de M. Modi avait déclaré que "l'Inde s'orientait désormais vers l'ouverture du secteur nucléaire" pour "les petits réacteurs modulaires, les réacteurs avancés et l'innovation nucléaire".

À l'heure actuelle, la société publique Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) exploite les centrales nucléaires indiennes.

"Le gouvernement a pris des mesures pour augmenter la capacité nucléaire, qui passera de 8.180 MW actuellement à 22.480 MW d'ici 2031-2032", avait indiqué le ministère indien de l'Énergie atomique (DAE) lors d'une réunion d'information en février.

Cette expansion comprend la construction et la mise en service de 10 réacteurs, pour un total de 8.000 MW ", avait-il précisé.

Six autres centrales de 1.208 MW bénéficiant du soutien des États-Unis ont déjà reçu une approbation de principe.

En 2006, l'Inde et les États-Unis ont signé un accord nucléaire historique en vertu duquel Delhi a accepté pour la première fois de soumettre ses réacteurs atomiques civils à un contrôle international.

Le géant d'Asie du Sud s'est engagé à atteindre la neutralité carbone en 2070 et, d'ici 2030, de réduire de 45% l'intensité de ses émissions (c'est-à-dire le niveau de ses émissions relatif au PIB) par rapport aux niveaux atteints en 2005.

L'Inde a émis 4,4 milliards de tonnes équivalent CO2 en 2024 - une unité de mesure des gaz à effet de serre favorisant le changement climatique - selon l'ONU, dépassée seulement par la Chine et les Etats-Unis.

Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh proposed for first Indian SMRs

Wednesday, 10 December 2025

Lead units for three small modular reactor designs being developed by India's Bhaba Atomic Research Centre will be built at Tarapur in Maharashtra and the Vizag campus in Andhra Pradesh.


Information on India's small modular reactor (SMR) plans has been given in several written answers from Minister of State Jitendra Singh to both houses of the Indian parliament at the start of its winter session.

The 200 MWe Bharat Small Modular Reactor (BSMR-200), which is based on pressurised water reactor technology, the 55 MWe Small Modular Reactor (SMR-55) and a 5 MWt high-temperature gas-cooled reactor are being designed and developed by India's Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and feature alongside plans for new large capacity reactors in India's plans to achieve 100 GWe of nuclear capacity by 2047.

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PM Modi inaugurates Mahi Banswara nuclear project

Thursday, 25 September 2025

The four-unit Mahi Banswara plant is one of a host of central and state governmental projects ceremonially inaugurated by India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Rajasthan.


The Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project will comprise four 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) designed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL), and is part of India's fleet mode initiative to build ten identical 700 MWe reactors at various locations across India under uniform design and procurement plans, an approach the Indian government says will bring in cost efficiencies and speed deployment, while consolidating operational expertise.

The Mahi Banswara units are to be developed under Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd (Ashvini), a joint venture between NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Formation of the 51% NPCIL:49% NTPC joint venture set up to construct, own and operate nuclear power plants in India received approval from the government last year.

Earlier this year, India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) gave its consent to NPCIL for the siting of the reactors, near the village of Napla, the first major stage in its licensing process for a nuclear facility. That consent was transferred to Ashvini earlier this month.

The other reactors that make up the ten planned units are Kaiga units 5 and 6 (in Karnataka), Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 (Haryana), and Chutka units 1 and 2 (Madhyar Pradesh). Two 700 MWe PHWR units at Kakrapar, in Gujurat, are already in commercial operation. Another, Rajasthan unit 7, was connected to the grid in March, and construction is ongoing on Rajasthan unit 8.

The foundation stone laying ceremony in Banswara saw the Prime Minister inaugurate some INR1,22,100 crore (USD18.8 billion - 1 crore is 10 million) of projects. As well as the nuclear power plant, these included INR19,210 crore of solar projects and three power transmission projects worth over INR13,180 crore, as well as substations and other infrastructure projects.

"In today's era of technology and industry, development runs on the power of electricity; electricity brings light, speed, progress, connectivity, and global access," Modi said at the ceremony. For any nation to achieve rapid development in the 21st century, it must scale up its electricity generation, he said - and the most successful countries will be those leading in clean energy. "Our government is transforming the clean energy mission into a people's movement", he added.

India plans to end state monopoly on uranium mining
This strategic move is aimed at supporting the country's ambitious plan to increase nuclear power production capacity twelvefold by 2047.

August 14, 2025

The Indian Government is preparing to end a long-standing state monopoly over its nuclear sector by allowing private companies to mine, import and process uranium, reported Reuters, citing government sources.

This strategic move is aimed at supporting the country’s ambitious plan to increase nuclear power production capacity twelvefold by 2047, which would account for 5% of India’s total power needs.

Until now, the state has exclusively controlled uranium mining, imports and processing due to concerns over nuclear material misuse, radiation safety and strategic security.

However, the government will maintain control over the reprocessing of spent uranium fuel and managing plutonium waste, aligning with global practices.

To address the anticipated surge in nuclear fuel demand, the government is developing a regulatory framework to permit private Indian companies to engage in the uranium sector.

The policy is expected to be made public within the current fiscal year and will also allow private entities to supply critical control system equipment for nuclear power plants.

India’s estimated uranium reserves of 76,000 tonnes (t) could fuel 10,000 megawatts (MW) of nuclear power for 30 years, according to government data.

However, domestic resources are projected to meet only around 25% of the increased demand, necessitating imports and an expansion of processing capabilities.

While announcing the budget earlier this year, the government revealed its plans to open the sector, without providing detailed information. This reportedly prompted major Indian conglomerates to start formulating investment plans.

To facilitate private participation, New Delhi is required need to amend five laws, including those governing mining, electricity sectors and foreign direct investment policies.

Last month, India unveiled a strategic plan to incentivise foreign companies to establish smelters and refineries, aiming to boost copper production and reduce import dependency by 2047.

This includes incentives for state-owned Indian companies to invest in the mining operations of foreign entities.

India's Gorakhpur slated for 2031 operation

Tuesday, 17 June 2025

The first concrete for unit 1 at Nuclear Power Corporation of India's four-unit Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana plant is to be poured in October, Minister of Power Manohar Lal Khattar has said.

Gorakhpur, in the Fatehabad district of Haryana, is earmarked for the construction of four Indian-designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) to be built in two phases. India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted a siting licence in 2015, and approved the start of excavation work for the construction of the first two units as long ago as 2018 - several years after an official groundbreaking ceremony had been held.

At that time, first concrete had been expected to be poured for unit 1 in 2019, with construction expected to take five and a half years. Consent for the pouring of first concrete was given by the AERB in 2020.

According to the Press Trust of India, the minister visited the site on 14 July "to review the progress of the nuclear power project being implemented by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) under the Department of Atomic Energy" and confirmed that the first pour of concrete for unit 1 is targeted "by October 2025". First criticality is targeted by June 2030 and commercial operation by March 2031. Unit 2 is expected to follow "with a 6-month gap from Unit 1".

The Indian government already classes Gorakhpur 1 and 2 as "under construction", although the International Atomic Energy Agency's PRIS database does not consider a reactor to be under construction until the first major placing of concrete for the base mat of the reactor building is made.

The second phase at Gorakhpur - units 3 and 4 - are amongst ten units that the Indian government has sanctioned to be built under a "fleet" approach: the others are Mahi Banswara units 1-4 (in Rajasthan), Kaiga units 5 and 6 (in Karnataka), Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 (Haryana), and Chutka units 1 and 2 (Madhyar Pradesh).

India currently has 24 operable nuclear energy reactors with a total installed capacity of 8.88 GW, with six units - totalling 4,768 MWe - under construction. The country is targeting an aiming to increase its nuclear energy capacity to 100 GW by 2047.

Indian regulator approves new nuclear site

19 May 2025

India's nuclear regulator has given its consent to the siting of the four-unit Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Project in Rajasthan.

The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) consent is for the siting of four Indian-designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at the site, near the village of Napla, in the Banswara district. The AERB's consent is valid for five years.

The AERB describes siting consent as the first major stage in its licensing of nuclear facilities, followed by construction, commissioning, operation and decommissioning. Consent for siting involves ensuring of the suitability of the site for the proposed facility, including from an engineering point of view, and includes reviews of the site itself, how the facility and the site will interact with each other, and the site's suitability for the implementation of emergency actions. The review process includes a range of studies depending what is applicable to that particular site and project, such as geotechnical, hydrogeological, radioactive impact assessment, baseline natural background, soil studies, and mapping of surrounding areas.

According to the siting consent issued by AERB, the Mahi Banswara site has undergone the reviews required under its regulations. It has consented to the siting of the four units - also known as MBRAPP - subject to satisfactory compliance with conditions including obtaining environmental clearance from the "relevant competent authority".

The four Mahi Banswara units are among ten units that the Indian government has sanctioned to be built under a "fleet" approach: the others are Kaiga units 5 and 6 (in Karnataka), Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 (Haryana), and Chutka units 1 and 2 (Madhyar Pradesh). Two 700 MWe PHWR units at Kakrapar, in Gujurat, are already in commercial operation. Another, Rajasthan unit 7, was connected to the grid in March, and construction is ongoing on Rajasthan unit 8.

The Mahi Banswara units are to be developed under Anushakti Vidhyut Nigam Ltd (Ashvini), a joint venture between Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC). Formation of the 51% NPCIL:49% NTPC joint venture set up to construct, own and operate nuclear power plants in India received approval from the government last year.

Under current Indian legislation, only two companies - NPCIL and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (Bhavini, set up to build and operate fast reactors) - are legally allowed to own and operate nuclear power plants in India, but a 2016 amendment to the 1962 Atomic Energy Act allows public sector joint ventures. In January, NPCIL signed an agreement to enable the transfer of the MPRAPP project from NPCIL to the Ashvini joint venture.

India welcomes newest Rajasthan unit to the grid

Monday, 17 March 2025

Unit 7 at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project is the third 700 MWe indigenous pressurised heavy water reactor to be connected to the Indian grid.

The unit - which is also known as RAPP-7 - reached first criticality in September and was connected to the northern grid early on Monday.

"With the clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board AERB and passing all tests with flying colours, unit 7 is now synchronised with the National Grid," Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said in a video released to mark the achievement.

Once a new unit has been connected to the grid, it undergoes a process known as power ascension testing when its power levels are gradually raised - under approval from the regulator - until it reaches full capacity. It will then enter commercial operation.

RAPP-7 follows Kakrapar 3 and 4 in a planned fleet of 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs): unit 3 achieved first criticality in July 2020, was connected to the grid in January 2021 and was declared to be in commercial operation in July 2023. Unit 4, which reached first criticality in December 2023, was connected to the grid in February and entered commercial operation in March 2024.

"NPCIL has mastered the art of building and operating these reactors," the company said.

A second 700 MWe unit, RAPP-8, is also under construction at the site at Rawatbhata, which is already home to six operating PHWRs with a total capacity of 1180 MW. NPCIL said it expects RAPP-8 to be operational "in 2025-26".

The government has sanctioned the "fleet mode" construction of further 700 MWe units at Kaiga in Karnataka; Gorakhpur in Haryana; Chutka in Madhya Pradesh; and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.

Earlier this year, Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman outlined ambitions for the development of at least 100 GW of nuclear energy by 2047 to support India's energy transition efforts. This new capacity would include the development of Indian-designed small modular reactors to be operational by 2033, with amendments to Indian legislation to encourage private sector participation in nuclear projects.

Rajasthan unit reaches first criticality

20 September 2024

Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant unit 7 - India's third indigenously designed 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor - achieved first criticality on 19 September after receiving clearance from the Indian nuclear regulator.



Celebrating first criticality at RAPP-7 (Image: NPCIL)

First criticality marks the completion of the construction phase and the start of the operational phase, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said. The unit will now undergo various tests before it is connected to the grid. Its power will then be raised, in steps, until it reaches full power - a process known as power ascension testing - with clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board at each step.

Fuel loading at Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant unit 7 - or RAPP-7 - began on 1 August, and the unit now joins Kakrapar 3 and 4 in India's fleet of 700 MWe pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs). Kakrapar 3 achieved first criticality in July 2020, was connected to the grid in January 2021 and was declared to be in commercial operation in July 2023. Kakrapar 4 reached first criticality in late December 2023, was connected to the grid in February and declared in commercial operation at the end of March.

"The successful achievement of criticality of RAPP-7, after the smooth operation of the first two 700 MW PHWRs … at Kakrapar in Gujarat, demonstrated the maturity achieved by NPCIL in the design, construction and operation of the indigenous 700 MW PHWRs," NPCIL said.

The Rajasthan plant is already home to six operating PHWRs with a total capacity of 1180 MW. A second 700 MW PHWR - RAPPS-8 - is also under construction and is expected to start generation next year.

As well as Rajasthan units 7 and 8, four Russian-supplied VVER pressurised water reactors are under construction at NPCIL's Kudankulam site in Tamil Nadu. Site works are also under way for the construction of two 700 MW units Gorakhpur in Haryana. In addition to these, a 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is being built by BHAVINI at Kalpakkam in Madras.

Ten further 700 MW PHWRs have received administrative approval and financial sanction: Kaiga units 5 and 6 in Karnataka; Gorakhpur units 3 and 4 in Haryana; Chutka units 1 and 2 in Madhya Pradesh; and Mahi Banswara units 1 and 2 and units 3 and 4 in Rajasthan. The Indian government recently approved the transfer of the project to build four 700 MWe PHWRs at Mahi Banswara to NPCIL and National Thermal Power Corporation's Ashvini joint venture.

India's NTPC confirms plans for nuclear subsidiary

20 August 2024

With the groundbreaking for its first nuclear joint venture project expected within the next two months, India’s largest power company has confirmed it intends to set up a nuclear power subsidiary and is actively looking for locations for plants.

NTPC Chairman and Managing Director, Gurdeep Singh told a meeting for analysts and investors at the end of July that India's largest power utility sees nuclear capacity - including small modular reactors (SMRs) - as central to its plans. He said nuclear energy developments were the "most important" of two major developments announced in the budget presented to the Indian Parliament by Minister of Finance Nirmala Sitharaman earlier in July (the other being advanced ultra-supercritical thermal power generation, in which state-owned NTPC is also involved as a joint venture partner).

"We had been working on the nuclear," Singh said. "Our first nuclear power project in Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan is likely to take the activities of groundbreaking in next two months. That is, as you know, that is joint venture with NPCIL. NPCIL is the lead partner; 51(%), we are 49(%).

"But I'm happy to share with all of you that we have already decided to make NTPC Nuclear Power Company, which will be a 100% subsidiary of NTPC. And we are looking forward for different sites in different states."

That search includes Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Karnataka, Singh said in answer to questions. Any site would need Atomic Energy Regulatory Board approval.

NTPC already has a team in place and "would like to repeat the same kind of success story" it had experienced with coal or thermal power stations, he said, adding that the capacity involved will be in the "tens of" gigawatts.

Referring to the plans outlined in the Indian budget to partner with the private sector to set up a company called Bharat Small Reactors, Singh said SMRs provide a "bigger and wider scope" in which NTPC plans to be involved.

"But at this stage you can just take it for granted that already things have started happening. It has taken some time. But now, the things are in place," he said.

Under Indian legislation, only two companies - Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) and Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI, set up to build and operate fast reactors) - are legally allowed to own and operate nuclear power plants in India, but a 2016 amendment to the 1962 Atomic Energy Act allows public sector joint ventures.

State-owned NTPC - short for National Thermal Power Corporation - agreed with NPCIL to form a joint venture for nuclear power plant construction as long ago as 2011, and last year signed a supplementary joint venture agreement for the development of six 700 MWe Indian-designed pressurised heavy water (PHWR) reactors including the four earmarked for construction at Mahi Banswara. These units are amongst a list of ten PHWRs already accorded administrative approval and financial sanction to be built in "fleet mode".

Indian regulator approves FBR fuel loading
01 August 2024

India's Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has officially granted permission for the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam to move to the next stage of the commissioning process, the First Approach to Criticality. This will include the loading of fuel into the reactor core and the start of low power physics experiments.

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ROSATOM starts implementation of fuel supply contract to India for Kudankulam units 3 and 4
During the operation of the power units 1 and 2 of the first stage of Kudankulam NPP, Russian and Indian specialists have accomplished a large amount of work to improve their efficiency by introducing advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles

Staff Writer 1st Aug 2024


ROSATOM starts implementation of fuel supply contract to India for Kudankulam units 3 and 4. (Credit: The State Atomic Energy Corporation ROSATOM.)

TVEL Fuel Company of Rosatom has started implementation of nuclear fuel supply contract for units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam NPP. The contract embraces the entire lifetime of the power units from the starting loading of the reactor cores. Units 3 and 4 of the Kudankulam NPP of the Russian design, powered by VVER-1000 reactors, are under construction in South India.

During the operation of the power units 1 and 2 of the first stage of Kudankulam NPP, Russian and Indian specialists have accomplished a large amount of work to improve their efficiency by introducing advanced nuclear fuel and extended fuel cycles. Since 2022, Kudankulam NPP has been supplied with nuclear fuel of improved design TVS-2M. The new fuel ensures more reliable and cost-efficient operation of reactors due to its rigid skeleton, new-generation anti-debris filter and higher uranium mass. Its introduction also enabled it to increase the fuel cycle of the reactors from 12 to 18 months (i.e. the time of continuous operation of the reactor before shutdown for unloading irradiated fuel and loading fresh fuel). Operation in longer fuel cycles also improves the economic efficiency of NPPs: the power unit is shut down less often for fuel reloading and generates more energy during the year.

“The facilities of the second stage of the Kudankulam NPP will be the first VVER-1000 reactors in history to be launched in an extended 18-month fuel cycle. This is a result of our successful cooperation in recent years, as the efficient solutions which have been previously implemented at similar reactors in Russia and China were also introduced at the Kudankulam operational power units. Throughout the entire NPP life cycle, ROSATOM not only supplies nuclear fuel, but also provides engineering services, improving the efficiency of power units through new solutions for fuel and fuel cycle,” Natalia Nikipelova, President of TVEL Fuel Company, commented.