fast breeder reactors and its importance

Fast breeder reactors are least safe

With reference an article in Times of India dated 27th March by  Swami Nathan Ankleswar Aiyyar about fast breeder reactors I wish to point out the following information on fast breeder reactor  and their importance in nuclear energy development in India.

A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that generates more fuel than it consumes. These reactors were initially (1940) considered appealing due to their superior fuel economy. In a normal light water reactors consumes 3to 4 % of natural uranium that begins fuel cycle which breeder can burn all most all of it( no reprocessing losses) and also generating less waste for equal amount of energy. Breeder can be designed to use thorium which is more abundantly available in India. There is renewed interest in designs because of increased price of uranium.

Fissile material is  produced by neutron irradiation of fertile material particularly uranium U-238 (natural uranium) and thorium -232. This happens some extent in most reactors. Towards the end life a uranium (not Mox, just uranium) PWR fuel element in producing more power bred plutonium than remaining uranium U-235(97 percent uranium ). In breeder reactor a ferrite materials  are deliberately provided, in fuel/or breeder blanket surrounding core. Historically a machine specially designed to create more fuel than it consumes is called breeder.

At present scientists of Indira Gandhi Cent re For Atomic Research (IGCAR) one of the nuclear institution in India are engaged in construction of FBR (FAST BREEDER REACTOR ) 500 Mwe fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam near Chennai with plans to build 111 generation nuclear power program .

India consciously choose peaceful safe path of nuclear energy development aimed at technology development. The strategy of our program was based on development of scientists  and engineers R&D institutions which grew gradually with the development of indigenous know how various fields.

I agree with Swami Nathan  Aiyyar that fast breeder are least safe and globally number of countries closed down fast breeder reactors and their construction costs are very high . But globally fast breeder technology under development  as I am optimistic India we shall be developing FBR in  safe conditions by developing safe  prototype reactor. I fully agree that sodium reacts both water and air and create explosion. But only answer for this question is we have to take safety precautions and while running FBR s just like managing chemical unit.

Every year globally number people die due to explosion in chemical and pharmaceuticals factories due to explosion and due poor safety conditions in coal mines around the world. How can be survive without chemicals and coal? only answer is we have to take enough precautions while managing these units.

All nuclear power plants need huge capital cost normally expected to over -run the expenditure because long construction lead time 48-60 months (in case of light water reactor). Capital cost over -run cost can be recovered, since average life of present generation 111 reactor life is 60 years.

As far as Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plants concerned these reactors are BWR (boiling water reactor ) in category of light water reactors supplied and built  by General Electric U.S. . These reactors are not FBR category of reactors.

The fleet of GE -Hitachi nuclear energy(GEH) BWR reactors  has been proven track record of performing reliability and safety for over 40 years. GE has been in nuclear industry since more than half century. There are 92 GE-Hitachi  built BWR plants operating globally. GE  BWR design meets rigorous regularity requirements of U.S. nuclear regulatory commission (NRC) and other  government regulations and have proven to be safe and reliable.