India’s nuclear power programme is set to achieve two significant milestones this week. On October 18, the country will celebrate 40 years of successful operation of its first fast breeder reactor — the 13.6 MWe Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at Kalpakkam.Meanwhile, the 500 MW Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), also located in Kalpakkam, awaits the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board’s (AERB) approval to begin fuel loading — a key step that will mark India’s entry into the second stage of its three-stage nuclear power programme envisioned by Dr. Homi J. Bhabha.
Built by BHAVINI since 2004, the PFBR has faced delays and cost escalations, with the project cost revised to ₹6,840 crore. The sodium-cooled reactor represents India’s move toward utilizing indigenous uranium and thorium efficiently.
The FBTR, designed and operated by IGCAR, achieved its design power of 40 MW thermal in 2022. It has served as the forerunner for the PFBR, providing vital operational experience.
While the PFBR’s fuel loading will be a landmark step toward commercial fast breeder technology, IGCAR has planned only a small internal gathering to mark FBTR’s four-decade success.