Title: Nuclear technology and its challenges in India

Authors: D.D. Sood

Addresses: Former Director Radiochemistry and Isotope Group, BARC, Mumbai, India

Abstract: India has a strong technology base for its comprehensive nuclear energy programme. A glimpse of this capability is given in this paper, starting with uranium exploration and mining to fuel reprocessing and nuclear waste management. India has chosen a closed fuel cycle option, and the plutonium recovered from spent fuel will soon be manufactured into fuel elements for its 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, which is under construction. A modest programme to develop systems for thorium utilisation is being pursued. The nuclear energy development programme includes accelerator-based nuclear reactor systems. India is also a party to the 500 MW nuclear fusion machine ITER, which is under construction at Cadarache, France, under an international cooperation framework.

Keywords: accelerator-driven systems; fuel reprocessing; nuclear technology; nuclear fuel; nuclear fusion; nuclear waste management; plutonium; thorium; uranium; nuclear energy; nuclear power; fast breeder reactors.

DOI: 10.1504/AFP.2008.019889

Atoms for Peace: an International Journal, 2008 Vol.2 No.1, pp.26 - 40

Published online: 13 Aug 2008 *

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