Dr Prabhat Kumar | 16 Mar, 2024
It is heartening that Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently visited
Kalpakkam to witness the start of fuel loading in the Prototype Fast
Breeder Reactor (PFBR). Commencement of fuel loading is a major
milestone for PFBR, indicating that all major sodium and water loops are
functional, and that all static and dynamic equipment are in healthy
state.
PFBR, built by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited
(BHAVINI), is currently in the final stage of commissioning. PFBR marks
the commencement of the second of the three-stage commercial nuclear
power production, planned by Homi Jahagir Bhabha way back in 1950.
This
is an occasion for the entire Department of Atomic Energy (DAE)
fraternity -- and for that matter for every Indian -- to be proud of the
combined achievement of the BHAVINI and Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic
Research (IGCAR) teams.
In October 2004, then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had marked the occasion by starting concreting of PFBR Raft.
This highly complex reactor is now nearing completion.
Visits
of Prime Ministers, President (Abdul Kalam), several Union Ministers,
Director Generals of International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) (Mohamed
ElBaradei and Yukiya Amano), Deputy Director Generals of IAEA, several
other international dignitaries and ambassadors, Parliamentary
committees, many Padma Awardee Scientists and others to PFBR in the
past, is a testimony the importance of PFBR in the global scenario.
The
fast breeder reactor technology has the potential to generate more
nuclear fuel (plutonium) than it consumes. This is achieved by using
fast neutrons to convert fertile material (depleted uranium) into
fissile material. The PFBR contributes to India's efforts to achieve
energy security by efficiently utilising its indigenous uranium and
abundant resources of thorium.
PFBR is a stepping stone to move
from U235 fuel to U233 fuel. PFBR is designed and constructed entirely
in India, showcasing the country's capability in advanced nuclear
sciences and engineering, and close fuel cycle.
The PFBR is a significant achievement in India's indigenous nuclear reactor technology capabilities.
For
concerted efforts to make fast reactors commercially viable, eminent
scientist Anil Kakodkar initiated to launch the fast breeder reactors
through a new company, BHAVINI. Late Baldeo Raj, then Director of IGCAR,
and his team played a leading role in plant and equipment design,
testing and qualification of equipment. IGCAR, in close proximity to
PFBR construction site, has provided multi disciplinary support to PFBR
and trained PFBR operation personnel in Fast Breeder Test Reactor
(FBTR).
The PFBR project has brought several laurels for India,
contributing to the country's nuclear energy programme and technological
prowess. Achievements and accolades associated with the PFBR encompass
Indigenous technology development and demonstrate the country's
capability to design, construct, and operate advanced nuclear reactors
without relying on foreign assistance.
PFBR involves cutting-edge
research and innovation in nuclear reactor technology. It fosters
advancements in reactor design, materials science, safety analysis, and
operational efficiency.
The PFBR project has facilitated
collaboration with international partners, including knowledge exchange,
and research cooperation.
The PFBR project has stimulated
economic growth through investments in infrastructure, development of
novel manufacturing technologies and creation of highly skilled
workforce. A robust nuclear energy ecosystem in India, created by PFBR,
harmonised contributions from R&D organisations, researchers,
material scientists, intricate equipment manufacturers and highly
skilled installation and commissioning teams.
Handling, storage
and transfer of 1,950 metric tonne sodium without spilling a single
drop, speaks volumes about competence of fast reactor teams at
Kalpakkam. India's achievements in fast breeder technology showcases the
country's potential to become global leader in thorium technology
landscape.
Fast breeder reactors operate under extreme conditions
of temperature, pressure, and radiation, requiring advanced materials
that can withstand these conditions. Developing and qualifying materials
for reactor components, including structural materials, cladding, and
fuel elements, have been a technological challenge.
The Indian
industry has played a significant role in producing materials to
stringent specifications and manufacturing and fabrication of equipment
for the PFBR project. Almost all the materials for the fabrication of
PFBR have been manufactured by Indian companies.
Indian
engineering firms have provided design, engineering, and consultancy
services for this project. This includes the development of detailed
engineering designs, safety analyses, and quality control measures.
Young PFBR team took up challenging construction, commissioning and
quality assurance responsibilities.
Indian thermal neutron
reactors built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited had
increased the quality production capabilities of Indian industries over
the decades. PFBR required enhanced competence from industries for its
equipment which are much larger in dimension and required far more
stringent specification and tolerance control.
Large thin walled
Safety vessel, Main vessel and Inner vessel required stringent safety
design and fabrication capabilities, have been fabricated by Larsen and
Toubro and BHEL at PFBR construction site, since these were too large to
be transported by road.
Never in the past were such large thin
walled vessels fabricated in India. Thin walled Inner vessel made by
BHEL, required critical control of dimensional tolerances in complex
geometry.
It is worthwhile to mention that the experience of
Safety and Main Vessel fabrication for PFBR provided an opportunity to
Larsen and Toubro to fabricate yet another large size thin walled vessel
at ITER (Fusion reactor project at France, a project to create fusion
in a large tokamak and create temperatures ten times the temperature of
the Sun).
The cryostat, a stainless steel vacuum pressure vessel
weighing 3,850 tonnes and of 30 metres in diameter is the largest vessel
ever made in the world. It has glorified India's manufacturing
capabilities before the world.
Kirloskar Brothers Limited (KBL)
came forward to take on the highly challenging task of design and
manufacture of primary and secondary sodium pumps. They have to
circulate liquid sodium at temperatures over 500 degrees. Primary sodium
pump has an 11 metre long shaft. The secondary sodium pump has
hydrodynamic bearings. Since the pumps operate in a sodium environment,
they have to be almost maintenance free.
It took knowledge, skills
and courage by KBL team to accept the order for these pumps. KBL has
demonstrated that Indian industries can take up any challenge.
MTAR
Technologies undertook the manufacture of inclined fuel transfer
machine and reactor top control plug. WalchandNagar Industries
manufactured large sodium-to-sodium and sodium-to-air heat exchangers.
Sodium-to-water heat exchanger/steam generators were made by Larsen and
Toubro. All these entities created specialised clean room facilities to
undertake manufacture of critical PFBR equipment.
Tata Consulting
Engineers (TCE) supported PFBR in design details and Gammon India
undertook civil and structural works requiring great precision. Power
Island equipment were manufactured by BHEL.
Various units of
Department of Atomic Energy including Nuclear Fuel Complex, Electronics
Corporation of India Ltd, Heavy Water Board etc took up challenging
responsibilities. IGCAR manufactured many critical equipment in its
workshop and dedicated many of its labs and test loops for testing and
qualification for PFBR equipment.
PFBR had to pass through some rough patches during its construction and commissioning.
The
Tsunami on December 26, 2004, had destroyed the project completely.
Restart of the construction required a fresh safety review involving
expertise of various centres of knowledge in geology, seismology,
oceanography, meteorology etc. Design changes and raising the garage
level of the PFBR had an impact on cost and time of the project.
The
Fukushima accident in Japan on March 11, 2011 required every nuclear
facility in the world -- under construction or in operation -- to have a
fresh review of safety in the background of new knowledge that came
forth by the Fukushima accident. This, too, required back fitting of a
few new features in PFBR, and thus impacted the cost and time.
It
has been noted that wherever ambitious mega projects to create new
technologies are launched, despite the best risk management features in
place, challenges beyond expectation are faced during construction and
commissioning. These, beyond planning events, have resulted in delays
and cost escalation.
Despite best planning, best brains involved,
extensive testing and qualification programmes, and most meticulous
construction and commissioning practices adopted, many first of this
type of projects in the world have experienced issues beyond original
risk evaluation. ITER, France is one such example.
In PFBR the
design, equipment fabrication and construction have been undertaken
simultaneously. To put an end to design refinements, DAE had taken one
of the most appropriate decisions to launch PFBR in October 2003, and
asked designers, equipment manufacturers, construction personnel to work
together to manage the complex technology and establish safety
protocols.
It may also be appropriate to mention that for the fast
breeder reactors, the regulatory framework and safety principles were
not fully developed by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board when the PFBR
was launched. Many of the safety rules were prepared parallelly during
construction of PFBR. This, too, had little impact on pace of
construction.
Fast reactors are extremely complex. Presence of a
huge amount of sodium adds to the complexities in design, construction,
commissioning and maintenance.
Fast breeder power reactor
programmes were launched only by four countries. These are France, Japan
, Russia and India. France and Japan have shut down their reactors due
to sodium leak and associated fire. Both France and Japan and are
currently going slow with their plans till generation four features are
implemented. Russia is the only country operating the fast breeder
reactor. India has introduced many generation four features in PFBR
after the Fukushima accident, and is pursuing the fast breeder reactor
programme with robust design and technological backbone existing now in
the country.
In 2003, when the PFBR project was launched by
BHAVINI, only a few experienced personnel were available on deputation
from IGCAR, who had knowledge of fast breeder reactor design and
operation of FBTR. BHAVINI had to appoint fresh engineering graduates
and initiate a major training and qualification programme for the
freshers to manage the complex and first of its type fast reactor
technology for PFBR. This was an initial hiccup which was later fixed.
IGCAR
and other units of DAE have been involved in skill development,
training and qualification programmes for personnel working in the PFBR
project. The training in FBTR includes providing specialised skills and
preparing the operation teams to get PFBR operation licence from AERB.
As time passed, BHAVINI engineers got recognised as one of the most competent, committed and hard working professionals.
(Dr Prabhat Kumar is former CMD of BHAVINI.)