thorium fuel cycle development in india

thorium fuel cycle development in India

The long term - goal of India‘s nuclear program has been to develop an advanced heavy water thorium cycle. The first stage of this employs the PHWRs fuelled by natural uranium, and light water reactors to produce plutonium.

Stage 2 uses fast neutrons reactors burning the plutonium to breed U-233 from thorium. The blanket around core will have uranium as well as thorium so that further plutonium ( ideally fissile PU ) is produced as well as the U-233.

Then stage 3 Advanced Heavy Water Reactors (AHWR) burn U-233 from stage 2 and this plutonium with thorium getting about two thirds of their power from the thorium.

On 2002 the regulatory authority issued approval to start BHAVINI. It is expected to be operating in 2012, fuelled with uranium -plutonium oxide ( the reactor-grade PU being from existing PHWRs ). It will have a blanket with thorium and uranium to breed fissile  U-233 and plutonium respectively. This will take India’s ambitious thorium program to stage 2, and set the scene for eventual full utilization of country’s abundant thorium to fuel reactors. Six more such 500 Mwe fast reactors have been  announced for construction four of them by 2020.

So far  about one tonne of thorium oxide fuel has been irradiated experimentally in PHWR reactors and has reprocessed and some of this has been reprocessed , according to BARC. A reprocessing centre for thorium fuel is being set up at Kalpakkam .

Design is largely complete for first 300 Mwe  AHWR, which was intended to be built in the 11th plan period to 2012, though no site has yet  been announced. It will have vertical pressure tubes in which light water coolant under high pressure will boil, circulation being by convection. A large heat sink-“ Gravity driven water pool “ -with 7000 cubic meters of water is near the top of reactor building. In April 2008 an AHWR critical facility was commissioned at BARC “ to conduct a wide range of experiments, to help validate the reactor physics of AHWR through  computer codes and in generating nuclear data about materials,  such as thorium-uranium 233 based fuels, which have not been extensively used in the fast.”  it has all components of AHWRs core including fuel and moderator and can be  operated in different  modes with various kinds of fuel in different configurations.

In 2009 the AEC announced some features of Mwe AHWR. It is mainly thorium fuelled reactor with several advanced passive safety features to enable meeting next generation safety requirements such as three days grace period for operator response, elimination of need for exclusion zone beyond plant boundary, 100 year design life, and high level of fault tolerance. The advanced safety characteristics have been verified in a series of experiments carried out  in series of experiments carried  out in full-scale test facilities. Also per unit of energy produced in current generation light water reactors. Importantly ,a high level of radio activity in the fissile and fertile materials recovered from used fuel of AHWR, and their isotopic  composition, preludes the use of these materials for nuclear weapons . In mid 2010 a pre licensing safety appraisal had been completed by AERB and site selection was in progress. The AHWR can be configured to accept a range of fuel types including enriched U, U-PUMOX , Th-PU MOX and U-233- Th MOX in full core.

At the same time AEC announced LEU version for AHWR. This will be use low-enriched uranium plus thorium as fuel, dispensing with plutonium input. About 39%  of power will come from thorium ( via in Situ  conversion to U-233,  C+ two thirds in AHWR)  and burn up will be 64 Gwd / t.  Uranium enrichment level will be 19.75%  giving 4.21% average fissile  content of U-th fuel. While designed closed fuel cycle, this not required . Plutonium production will be less than light water reactors, and fissile proportion will be less and the PU-238 portion three times as high, giving inherent  proliferation resistance. The design is intended for overseas sales and AEC says that “ the reactor is manageable with modest industrial infrastructure within reach of developing countries.

mass uranium discovery in india

Andhra Pradesh reveals massive uranium discovery

“ it is not high grade uranium, it is low grade uranium. We have not found any high grade uranium in India to match that found in Australia “.

A new mine in Andhra Pradesh could contain the largest reserves of uranium in the world signaling a major boost for energy -hungry India.

The Tumalapalli mine in Andhra Pradesh state could provide up to a 150,000 tonnes of uranium, Sri Kumar Banerji , secretary of the department of Atomic energy, told reporters after a four year survey of the site completed.

It is confirmed that mine has 49,0000 tonnes of ore, and there are indications that total quantity could be three times that amount “ Banerji said.

If that be the case, it will become the largest uranium mine in the world “ he said.

Previous estimates suggested that only about 150,000 tonnes of uranium would be produced at the mine,  which is due to start operating by end of year.

S.K.Malhotra  spokes man for department of Atomic Energy said experts at Tumalapalli mines quite hopeful that the eventual volume from mine would reach 150,000 tonnes.

But he warned that “ it is not  high grade uranium, it is low grade uranium . We have not found any high grade uranium in India to match that found in Australia . Major exporter Australia has so far rebuffed Indian requests to supplies of heavy metal which is refined into nuclear fuel, because the country  has not signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty.

The government has been seeking new supplies of uranium world wide and has  concluded supply deals with France , Kazakhstan and Russia among others.

“ the new find would only augment the indigenous supply of uranium. There would still be a significant gap. We would still have to import .” Banerji  quoted as saying.

India’s  fast growing economy is heavily depend on coal, getting less than three percent of its energy from atomic power. It hope to raise the figure to 25 %  by 2050.

Construction  began on Monday of two new indigenously designed 700 mega watt nuclear power plants in western state of Rajasthan the government said in a statement.

India currently has 20 nuclear reactors generating 4,780 MW of power, plus seven reactors with capacity 5300 MW under construction it said. New Delhi- backed by U.S.- won a special exemption in 2008 from nuclear supply group ( NSG) which govern global nuclear trade, to allow it  buy reactors and fuel from overseas.

The country had been subject to an embargo since 1974, when India conducted a nuclear weapon test. Countries are normally required to have signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty and open their reactors to international scrutiny before they can buy atomic technology and uranium. Companies from France, Russia  , the U.S. and Japan are compete ting for a slice $ 175  billion that India plans to spend on nuclear reactors.

Since Japan Fukushima crises in March, environmentalists have campaigned to stop construction of new nuclear power plants in India but government has vowed to press a head with its plans.

Regular protests have been held by residents at Jaithapur  on western coast of India , where a huge six  reactor 9900 MW plant is scheduled to begin construction in 2013.  

new borne child

A visit to Guntur to name Avinash  son name as Dola Karthikeya

First  there was a mistake for not inviting the our pulipaka family members since Avinash father in-law not able to confirm actual date of naming of just borne child  function details  to inform for close relatives for attending this function in Guntur. As a father of Avinash I have felt mere just sake of small function I was feeling unnecessary disturbing my brothers and sisters to come to Guntur  for this small un important function.

My self Avinash Indira  my wife reached Guntur on 14th for attending a “barasala” function in Avinash father in-law house. Normally we conduct small function for naming child in our custom We have traveled in a train and reached Guntur . We had  after completing bath we had breakfast .  Since long time Avinash and Goutami( Avinash wife) devoting Subramanian swami in padmarao nagar and prayed  to  name his son name as Kartikeya.

The child born on 4th July at 11.58 A.M and child weighing 4 kgs.  Finally we blessed the child and named him as Dola Kartikeya . Karthikeya borne  in “Aslesha”  nakshtram.   After consultations from both sided of family members agreed to name the child Dola Kartikeya . After that child was put on a trolley  cart which we call it as “Barasala “. Karthikeya was good in health and playing well. He borne to Goutami after doctors conducting operation due to delayed delivery.

We finished our lunch that day . In the evening myself and Indira gone to Guntur fruit market and purchased some fruits including mangoes . I was enjoying my stay in Guntur town since our family belongs to Guntur district. Before that I have telephoned to my mother who was on visit to Mannava to complete some house construction work. She told me that she was not feeling well with swollen injury on her thigh.

On completion of 14th function we are left with two days left Guntur before boarding train on 16th .

Children borne with Aslesha  nakshtram needs japams in temple under priest guidance to reduce bad impact of stars on Karthikeya. We arranged money for priests to conduct japams in temples.

On 15th  I left for Mannava our native place where my mother occasionally visits to under take repairs to our house. I had my break fast traditional idly in a famous restaurant in Guntur and took auto rickshaw and reached Mannava and saw my mother who was not feeling well. Incidentally I reached Mannava by 9 0 clock . My mother just about to get up from her bed. She advised to visit my friend  Vidya sagar  my close friend with whom my connection have been cut off since last two decades. I visited Sagar house  met his wife and his mother. We enough discussions on personnel matters for an half an hour and we both proceeded to my house and there we have spent one hour and I took same auto and reached Guntur . In our young age my self and sagar used to go to canal bank and talk hours together since we both were unemployed at that time. I had my dinner in centre inn in Guntur and reached Guntur Avinash father in laws house.

Next day my self , indira and Avinash visited famous temple Amareshwar swami in temple town Amravati which is 33 km s away from Guntur . It is a lord Siva temple situated on the banks of Krishna river. It is one famous Siva temples in south India. We offered coconut to main deity and prayed for blessings for new borne Kart Keya .

We visited Krishna river and just touch river water on our heads without going on a boat in KRISHNA river. Amravati there is big statue of 50 feet high Buddha statue  built and maintained by A.P. Tourism Corporation. We saw Shirdi SAI temple in Amravati started and reached Guntur by 3 p.m.

In the night we boarded a train in Guntur and reached Hyderabad on 17th morning.

U.S. should have managed better in situation like Fukushima nuclear crises

U.S could have better managed in a situation like Fukushima nuclear crisis in Japan

Years will pass before we fully understand what happened at Fukushima nuclear power plants. Broad lessons can be learned based on information available

Human error is a far greater threat than technology

Unforeseen natural disaster happen, and catastrophic result that, however  cannot be used as an excuse. Indeed, an initial review of information indicates that human error was the real culprit. The actual reactors at Fukushima worked. Nuclear reactions stopped in each reactor upon the earth quake strike, and back up power took over when primary power was lost. The problem really began as systems broke down when multiple tsunami waves over come the safety design of site.

Unfortunately , many problems were like preventable. According to the international atomic energy agency, the plants tsunami barriers were identified as in sufficient but Japanese regulators had never fully approved modifications to fix problems. Given this, the plants back up power sources should have been housed on flood proof locations. In fact all were vulnerable to flooding which  left 11& 12 generators un workable.

Additional design problems also emerged. It remain un clear exactly how Japanese officials addressed some well known reactors steam and pressure venting issues. What is known is that the reactors had venting problems. While hydrogen containing steam was released from reactors primary containment, valve malfunctions allowed it to mitigate back into the reactor building. This accumulations of hydrogen caused the explosions, which then apparently led to additional severe challenges, such as those associated with spent fuel pools.

An incoherent command structure, where real time decision making authority was spread among  multiple individuals , made  managing these conditions even  more difficult. Not having a single person on the ground and in charge diminished the influence of those with most relevant  experience. Instead some critical decisions, such as when to vent steam from reactors or when to use seawater to cool them, seems to be pushed up to authorities with more political than technical experience.

Lesson 3 : the American safety regulation system  for existing plants works.

The  nuclear regulatory commission sets the safety standard and strictly enforces them with on -site inspectors and ongoing over sight. The institute for nuclear operators, a private safety organization, add another layer of safety by providing training, best practices, and plant -specific safety audits. Finally each plant operator is responsible for maintaining safe plant operations.

The U.S. system allows regulators and plant personnel to effectively identify and mitigate safety deficiencies while maintaining efficient operations. That why America’s  nuclear power plants not only enjoy exempla nary safety records but produce some of the most affordable electricity.

Lesson three :  United  States must fix its system for nuclear waste disposal

U.S.lack of   a nuclear waste disposal policy is causing U.S. power plants to collect more spent fuel in pools than they were ever engineered  to hold. While safe, should a plant over face an emergency  like that in Japan where pool integrity was threatened, the additional spent fuel could increase the safety risk. It is unnecessary , federally imposed risk that could be mitigated by opening Yucca Mountain.

Lesson four ; Radiation remains  a great unknown

We need to learn more about radiation, while this lack of understanding makes  nuclear scary to most people under normal circumstances it can cause panic during an accident. The panic affects the public and policy makers. The public can become fearful and behave irrationally, such as buying iodine pill in United States to protect against an accident in Japan. Policy makers can act irrationally as well as when German officials called to shut down all of their nuclear reactors. The media exacerbates the problem by writing stories that play on public fear instead of educating people about events.

Spewing so much radiation into ground, atmosphere, and water is not good, but we need to understand how bad actually it is. This will allow us to reopen to future accidents more effectively and place the risk of future nuclear power into more realistic context. Additionally the IAEA has concluded that no lasting human impact will result from radiation released from Fukushima.

Lesson five : an accident has not stopped the expansion of nuclear power.

This perhaps the most telling lesson  learned from Fukushima. While few reactions stated  that they would either  not pursue  new reactors or shut down their existing ones, the fact is that support for nuclear was already warming in those places. The consensus among most was that a commercial nuclear accident any where threatened progress every where.

Giving the severity the accident at Fukushima- and that is happened in Japan, a nation widely held as a leader in commercial  nuclear safety- few could have predicted that the nuclear renaissance would largely  stay on track in its wake. Yet that’s exactly what happening. Progress in new plants in Georgia, South Carolina, and reactor designs continue to pursue NRC licensing for their concept. 

In the end, we will undoubtedly learn-many lessons from Fukushima . But it is important to understand that  Fukushima was not America’s accident. The United States had it at Three Mile Island and learned immensely from it. In deed the way our industry is organized in direct result of those lessons. Fukushima was Japan’s accident but we both can learn from it.

K.C.R. playing again

K .C.R. is playing again

Under  pressure from K.Chandrasekhar Rao , Telangana Rashtra Samiti  president  congress  leaders including ministers, Mps, MLAs, MLCs have decided to sign on 4th July for their posts  to keep pressure on Manmohn Singh government to decide state hood for Telangana  and also assure  public about their commitment for creation of separate state.

On Thursday, Telangana congress leaders including ministers, Mps, MLAs held series of informal meetings at the residence of Rajah Shaba  member Mr. K.Keshava Rao . It is reliably learn t that during the meeting Congress leaders  had with Mr. Chandrasekhar Rao, he   agreed to merge TRS with congress once state hood is cleared.

Incas e  state hood is not granted to Telangana by UPA government , even after resignations of elected representatives, Chandrasekhar Rao promised that these congress public representatives will be allowed to contest  and elected unanimously  again under same banner or on TRS symbol.

It  is plan of K.Chandrasekhar Rao first to create constitutional break down in the state and force centre to crate a separate state hood for Telangana, in case UPA government not favoring for creation  of separate state , Chandrasekhar Rao can welcome all these resigned congress leaders into TRS fold to get elected again . This way Telangana Rashtra Samiti party will be benefited.


However on Thursday only half of Telangana congress MLAs  attended  meeting. More over some MLAs have separate opinion on unanimous submitting the resignations on 4th July. Meanwhile the speaker of assembly Mr. N . Manohar who has gone to abroad expected only on 8th July only . It was also decided on Thursday meeting these elected representatives want to continue in congress even after resignations. Once these elected representative resign , they will loose their ground in congress.

Mean while Seem Andhra Mps, MLAs including ministers decided to go New Delhi on 5th July and impress upon Congress core committee against division of state. Meanwhile 37 MLAs of Telangana Telugu Desam Party also decided to resign along with TRS MLAs threatening  UPA government for creation of separate  Telangana state.

It is game plan of Mr. Chandrasekhar rao  actual plan to strengthen TRS , in case of mid term elections.
Can Telangana congress elected representatives fall in trap of K.C.R.?

In addition 50 lakhs  population of  living with different languages  people residing in state capital will be suffered if politician like K.C.R wanted to divide state for his selfish political gains.

It is better UPA government to impose president rule in the state of Andhra Pradesh to save state from selfish politicians. 

why nuclear energy for india?

Why nuclear energy for India ?

Nuclear power produces around 11 % of world energy needs, and produces huge amount of energy from small amount of fuel, without the pollution that we used to get from fossil fuel.

As nuclear experts view the expected life of 111+ generation reactor is about 60 years. Hence the huge cost of nuclear projects, long construction period overrun cost  can be recovered due long life of plant.

As you see number of people die in coal mines but during recent Fakushima  Daiichi nuclear crisis in Japan not even  a single person died due to nuclear radiation, then why  anti nuclear protesters in India are canvassing and  agitating against building nuclear projects in India ?

Nuclear technology is proven sophisticated technology and nuclear accidents are very few when compared to coal mines accidents . Coal which is used  as fuel  in conventional thermal  power for producing power ..

Some people praise nuclear technology as low cost, low - emission alternative to fossil fuels , while others stress the negative impact of nuclear waste and accidents such as Three Mile Island, Chernobyl and recent Fakushima  Daiichi nuclear crisis.

Despite all cosmic energy that word  “nuclear “  invokes power plants that depend on atomic energy don’t  operate that differently from typical coal burning power plant. Both heat water into pressurized  steam, which drives  turbine generator , while older plants burn fossil fuel, nuclear power projects depend upon heat that occurs during nuclear fission.

Every one from cosmic book writers to theoretical physicists have characterized the spiting atom as a ultimate act of man playing god, so it is easy to forget that nuclear fission happen naturally every day. Uranium for example constantly under goes a spontaneous fission very slowly. This is why element emits radiation and why it is natural choice for induced fission that nuclear power plants require .

Is nuclear power safe in India ?

For nuclear power project safety and environmental protection are especially important. NPCIL ( nuclear power corporation of India ) which operates nuclear projects in India , meets all compliances laid down by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and other agencies. Comprehensive  and systematic  assessment by multi tier and multi -disciplinary reviews during  each stage - design, construction, commissioning operation of nuclear power plants are carried out.

How nuclear energy cost in India


More importantly making tariff for nuclear power projects competitive compared with coal based thermal power plants is  another challenge. The tariff are influenced  many factors such as capital cost and long construction period. The larger capacity plants should deliver power at low cost as account of economics of scale.

The average tariff of nuclear fuel for  2009-2010 maintained at same RS 2..30 per unit as 2008-2009 despite 15 percent increase fuel cost in India according to NPCIL. With measures such increasing unit size of future reactors and reduction in gestation period, nuclear power would be further competitive.

up gradation of technology and supplies would help in bringing down the capital cost, thereby making tariff more competitive. 

Let us encourage nuclear power for reducing the global warming on this earth and also to develop  alternative energy available at affordable rates for maintaining clean green environment .