Lok Sabha Question No. 1954 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-09
Subject: Shortage of Atomic Fuel
Ministry: ATOMIC ENERGY
Asked by: BHARAT SINGH, SHOBHA KARANDLAJE, VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA DEPARTMENT OF ATOMIC ENERGY

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1954

TO BE ANSWERED ON 09.03.2016

## SHORTAGE OF ATOMIC FUEL

1954.   SHRI BHARAT SINGH: KUMARI SHOBHA KARANDLAJE: SHRI VIJAY KUMAR HANSDAK:

Will the PRIME MINISTER be pleased to state:

- (a) whether  some  of  our  country's  nuclear  power  plants  are  facing shortage  of imported fuel/uranium;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons therefor along with the action taken/being taken by the Government in this regard;
- (c) whether the Government proposes to explore an alternative fuel or technology for generation of nuclear power and if so, the details thereof;
- (d) the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; and
- (e) whether nuclear power plants accounts for only 3.5% of India's current electricity generation and its share in India's future electricity generation will  be  less  than  10% even  if  the  installed  capacity  is  tripled  and  if  so,  the  reaction  of  the  Government thereto?

## ANSWER

THE MINISTER OF STATE FOR PERSONNEL, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES & PENSIONS AND PRIME MINISTER'S OFFICE (Dr. JITENDRA SINGH):

- (a) No,  Sir.  Nuclear  power  plants  in  the  country  are  presently  operating  at  the  rated capacity.
- (b) Does not arise in view of (a) above.
- (c) India has large deposits of thorium, which can be used to generate nuclear power. However, it is not possible to build a nuclear reactor using thorium alone due to its physics characteristics.   Thorium  has  to  be  converted  to  Uranium-233  in  a  reactor before  it  can  be  used  as  fuel.  With  this  in  view,  a  three-stage  nuclear  power programme,  based  on  a  closed  nuclear  fuel  cycle  has  been  chalked  out  to  use thorium  as a viable and  sustainable  option,  The  three  stage  nuclear  power programme aims to multiply the domestically available fissile resource through the use of natural uranium in Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), followed by

use of plutonium obtained from the spent fuel of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR)  in  Fast  Breeder Reactors (FBR). Large scale use of Thorium  will subsequently  follow  making  use  of  Uranium-233  that  will  be  bred  in  Fast  Breeder Reactors,  when  adequate  nuclear  installed  capacity  in  the  country  has  been achieved. The third stage of Indian nuclear power programme which contemplates making  use  of  Uranium-233  to  fuel  Uranium-233  -  Thorium  based  reactors,  can provide  energy  independence  to  the  country  for  several  centuries.    Technology development and demonstration activities are continuing, so that a mature technology is available in time.

- (d) Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and other research organisations attached with Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) are engaged in various R&D activities to address  the  utilisation  of  thorium  in  different  types  of  reactors.  Some  important highlights of these activities are:
- i. Thorium  Oxide  (Thoria)  pellets  contained  in  bundles  have  been  used  in  the  initial cores of our Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). Thoria based fuels have also  been  irradiated  in  the  research  reactors  CIRUS  and  Dhruva.  After  such irradiations, these fuel elements have been examined in the laboratories at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), and the results are satisfactory.
- ii. The irradiated thoria pins of CIRUS have been reprocessed to obtain Uranium-233. The  recovered  Uranium-233  has  been  fabricated  as  fuel  for  the  30  kW  (thermal) KAMINI reactor, which is in operation at Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam.
- iii.  A 300 MW Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) using thorium based fuel has been designed and developed. This reactor will serve as a technology demonstrator for not only the thorium fuel cycle technologies, but also several advanced passive safety features.
- iv.  A Critical Facility for Advanced Heavy Water Reactor was commissioned in 2008 at BARC, and is used for carrying out experiments to further validate the physics design features of AHWR.
- (e) The  present  nuclear  power  capacity  is  5780  MW  and  the  nuclear  power  share  in current  electricity  generation  in  the  country  (April  2015  to  January  2016)  is  about 3.3%. The exact share on tripling of the nuclear power capacity would depend on the electricity generation from all other sources at that time.

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