India Nuclear News and Discussion 4 July 2011

Suraj · Post by **Suraj** » 19 Jul 2013 00:04

Amber G. wrote:Sridharjii - Thanks for being one of the few mods here (apart from Gerard, or course) for posting on topic. Please use your leadership to influence the atmosphere here in brf .. so that it is inviting to all including internationally respected Indian scientists.

It is unacceptable to direct requests at one moderator to work against another. In matters like these, we seldom work in isolation. Typically, such a post is discussed privately among moderators, before one person steps in to act. Attempting to work one moderator against another, as opposed to addressing us collectively, is an excellent way to earn a poster a warning or a ban.

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 19 Jul 2013 10:39

Theo_Fidel wrote:Well somebody else is going to have to give their 5,000 acres of land for more nuke power.
The conflict is over KKNPP-3 & 4.
Never going to happen in this location and under present NPCIL/AEC approach.

As I said before NPCIL won the battle but lost the war.

The entire purpose of the protest was to prevent KKNPP-3&4 from going to the Russians.

Stage managed by the amrekis and spearheaded through the protestant network.

The european nut jobs got involved later.

We will just have to watch for the Russian riposte a little down the line.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Jul 2013 14:14

KKNP may renew US firms' focus on Nuke sector - Business Line

A few months ago, this correspondent asked an American diplomat during the course of a friendly, off-the-record conversation, if the US was covertly behind all the protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

The diplomat laughed thoroughly. Then, noting that he was aware of such an impression going around, he provided some perspective to show why such a supposition could not be true. Kudankulam, he said, was a landmark. If Kudankulam had not come, no other nuclear power project would ever take off in India. The US, therefore, was keen on the project coming up.

Now, the first unit of the Russia-aided nuclear power project has gone critical and it looks certain that it would start pumping in electricity in a couple of months. Thus, going by the American diplomat’s logic, the necessary condition for future nuclear projects in the country has been met.

US Vice-President Joe Biden’s ongoing visit will be the first by a foreign dignitary to India after the commissioning of the Kudankulam power project. Nuclear power projects for American companies will be top on Biden’s agenda — he will start where Secretary John Kerry left off last month.

There seems to be some renewed optimism among American companies. In response to Business Line’s email, the US company Westinghouse said that “building on the success at Kudankulam” it looked forward to building 6,000 MW of nuclear power projects in Gujarat.

Tellingly, as if addressing the point of safety expressed over Kudankulam plants, Westinghouse stressed that its AP 1000 reactors were the “safest, most advanced reactors”, with eight of them currently under construction in the US and China, and 20 more in various stages of development around the world.

So, clearly Kudankulam’s commissioning is seen as a shot in the arm for nuclear energy in India.

But is it, really?

A reality check seems to indicate that Kudankulam, if anything, has made it more difficult for future projects using imported reactors.

You need to look no further than Kudankulam units 3 and 4, currently under negotiation, for insights. At a whopping Rs 40,000 crore, or Rs 20 crore a MW, the units seem not worth it economically. That is the estimate today. One should not forget that the initial estimate of the cost of Kudankulam units 1 and 2 was Rs 13,171 crore. As of August 2012, it had risen to Rs 17,270 crore.
Unit cost of power

Addressing this point, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission R. K. Sinha told this correspondent that what mattered at the end of the day was the unit cost of power.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India has said that Kudankulam power will cost about Rs 3 a unit. It is not clear as to how this tariff has been arrived at.

For instance, it is unclear whether the government-owned NPCIL, the owner of the Kudankulam project, will be backed to meet the cost overrun.

Besides, it is essential to remember that the Kudankulam project is being built at easy terms of finance provided by Russia — a $2.55-billion loan, carrying a 4 per cent interest fixed for the entire 20-year loan duration, which includes a 6-year drawing period and a 14-year repayment period, and no guarantee given by the Government of India.

Future projects may not be so lucky. As things stand today, the balance of convenience lies in assuming that the actual costs and the terms of finance will make power from these projects pricey.

Further, the anti-nuclear protests are likely to get shriller. Already, we see resistance building up in Jaitapur, Maharashtra — the site where the French company, Areva, has been promised projects. The protests will have their time and cost implications.

It is therefore not clear as to whether the Kudankulam project has tipped the scales in favour of imported nuclear reactors — it has probably done the opposite. In his negotiations,

Joe Biden will have to remember that American companies will have to sweeten their offers further for any business to result.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 Jul 2013 16:42

Wasnt PFBR supposed to go critical in 2013? Is there any update? I tried to google but no news. Can somebody share the status? Thanks in advance.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 23 Jul 2013 17:40

abhijitm, it looks like it won't be ready until late 2014, though for the last year or so we have been hearing about 'imminent' commissioning.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 23 Jul 2013 18:33

Thanks SSridhar for the update.

arun · Post by **arun** » 23 Jul 2013 21:47

abhijitm wrote:Wasnt PFBR supposed to go critical in 2013? Is there any update? I tried to google but no news. Can somebody share the status? Thanks in advance.

For progress on the PFBR keep an eye on this web page:

Acheivements

And also the below web page which claims “The project has achieved the physical progress of 95.2% till date”:

Present status of 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)

nvishal · Post by **nvishal** » 24 Jul 2013 00:00

I'm more interested in the three stage thorium fuel cycle reactors than the ready made uranium import tech

More on the three stage in finalizing stage at kalpakkam:

Rs9,600-crore nuclear fuel facility to come up at Kalpakkam

India's first fast reactor fuel cycle facility (FRFCF) involving an outlay of around Rs9,600 crore got the centre's nod recently, said a top atomic energy sector official.

"The union cabinet recently gave its green signal for the FRFCF (or fuel reprocessing facility) project to be set up in Kalpakkam," R.K. Sinha, secretary, department of atomic energy (DAE) and chairman of atomic energy commission (AEC), told IANS over phone from Mumbai.

Work on the project is expected to start later this year.

"We have to issue tenders for high value items. This will be followed by placing orders. Construction is expected to start at the end of this year," PR Vasudeva Rao, director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), said.

The facility will cater to the upcoming Rs5,677 crore 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, around 70 km from here.

"The earliest the project starts is better for us as we need not go to the government for fresh fuel supplies. We are happy with the government's decision," Prabhat Kumar, chairman and managing director, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd (BHAVINI), said.

He said the capacity of the proposed facility should be that it could process around two-third of the 181 fuel bundles loaded in PFBR.

A fast-breeder reactor is one which breeds more material for a nuclear fission reaction than it consumes. It is the key to India's three-stage nuclear power programme. According to Kumar, a fuel cycle facility near the PFBR eliminates the transport risk of fuel bundles. For the fuel reprocessing facility to be functional the PFBR should first go on stream which is expected to happen next year.

According to Rao, the fuel reprocessing facility - with little augmentation - can also cater to the needs of two more fast breeder reactors of similar nature that are being planned at Kalpakkam. He said the PFBR uses plutonium-based fuel, which is an important resource for India, and cannot be wasted. It is a high-value project and has to be done on time so that PFBR is not constrained for fuel.

Officials said the fuel cycle facility may come under a separate board as many units of DAE like the Nuclear Fuel Complex and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) will be involved in the proposed project.

"Fuel is owned by the government and is leased to the power plant. The waste is also the responsibility of the government," an official said.

Tasked with the mandate of developing fast breeder reactors, IGCAR will be steering the project.

The fuel cycle facility might employ around 1,500 people and may take four or five years to come into play. Till then, PFBR will be storing the fuel at its complex, Kumar said.

disha · Post by **disha** » 24 Jul 2013 05:04

SSridhar wrote: Besides, it is essential to remember that the Kudankulam project is being built at easy terms of finance provided by Russia — a $2.55-billion loan, carrying a 4 per cent interest fixed for the entire 20-year loan duration, which includes a 6-year drawing period and a 14-year repayment period, and no guarantee given by the Government of India.
...
Joe Biden will have to remember that American companies will have to sweeten their offers further for any business to result.

[/quote]

Taking a loan from the US Treasury/Fed is cheaper! One can get a 30 year mortgage after paying for the processing cost at 4.5% APR P+I. The point is that Joe Biden has to be made to beat the Russian interest rates.

abhijitm · Post by **abhijitm** » 24 Jul 2013 06:33

arun wrote:...

arun, thanks.

Neela · Post by **Neela** » 24 Jul 2013 13:40

SSridhar wrote:KKNP may renew US firms' focus on Nuke sector - Business Line
A Few months ago, this correspondent asked an American diplomat during the course of a friendly, off-the-record conversation, if the US was covertly behind all the protests against the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.

The diplomat laughed thoroughly. Then, noting that he was aware of such an impression going around, he provided some perspective to show why such a supposition could not be true. Kudankulam, he said, was a landmark. If Kudankulam had not come, no other nuclear power project would ever take off in India. The US, therefore, was keen on the project coming up.

My grandmother would have folded her fingers and would have given a "kottu" ( hit the head with the knuckles ) to the reporter. What did the reporter expect the diplomat to say? Acknowledge that the US WAS covertly behind the protests and then apologize to him. It is not naive. It is plain stupidity to ask that question.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Jul 2013 11:34

First Commercial Fast Breeder Reactor Almost Ready - The Hindu

Karaikudi: India’s first commercial fast breeder reactor, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), is almost ready and it would go critical by September next year, {it is official now and confirms earlier post here} according to Dr P.R. Vasudeva Rao, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).

Talking to reporters here on Thursday after delivering the CSIR-CECRI Foundation Day 2013 lecture, Dr. Rao said 96 per cent of the PFBR construction by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) had been completed.

After the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) certified safety aspects in different power levels, the PFBR would start generating power, he said. “As the AERB was very strict on safety measures it will take several months or a year to complete the process.”

Dr Rao said it was proposed to build two more PFBRs in Kalpakkam, besides a very large fuel cycle facility to fabricate and reprocess the spent fuel in the coming years.

Pointing out that the country would face a power deficit of 412 GWe by 2050 and 1.6 billion tonnes of coal would be required to fill the gap, he said India had no option but to go for a combination of nuclear, solar and wind energy.

As India had the world’s highest thorium resource, it could be used for generating power for the next 600 years, he said. However, the thorium had to be converted into a different form, which could be burnt in reactors, he said adding that the fast reactors could convert thorium into uranium 233 and that would enable to build more reactors.

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 26 Jul 2013 11:39

CECRI, Karaikudi for closer ties with IGCAR - The Hindu

The Karaikudi Council of Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR)-Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI) centre, currently engaged in a gamut of research activities in electrochemical sience and technology, would foster stronger collaboration with the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, CSIR-CECRI Director Vijayamohanan K. Pillai said.

Talking to reporters after the CSIR-CECRI Foundation Day celebration here on Thursday, he said the two institutions would join hands and complement each other.

He said CECRI has identified three areas of collaboration - application of ionic liquid in atomic energy, molten salt electrolysis and addressing the corrosion problems in the atomic power stations.The two institutions would also have exchange programmes, he added.

Austin · Post by **Austin** » 05 Aug 2013 14:55

IDSA: Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant: How Safe is Safe Enough?

Prem · Post by **Prem** » 08 Aug 2013 07:16

http://www.telegraphindia.com/1130807/j ... gL8atLVCuI
- CM faces delicate choice amid land protests against reactors

New Delhi. Aug. 6: A key pact India’s nuclear operator and American firm Westinghouse are likely to ink when Prime Minister Manmohan Singh visits Washington this September could pitchfork Narendra Modi into a delicate debate on nuclear commerce for the first time.The agreement will commercially commit them to setting up six nuclear reactors in two Gujarat villages near Bhavnagar, laying the ground for land acquisition for a project local residents are protesting against, top officials here confirmed to The Telegraph.

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and Westinghouse are close to sealing the pact that edges the two nations closer to realising the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal Singh staked his government on in 2008, the officials said.But Singh’s gain in September could also thrust an uncomfortable choice on Gujarat chief minister Modi between protesting farmers and industry, ahead of elections that his supporters hope will propel him towards the Prime Minister’s chair.“Once the pact is signed, the NPCIL, through the state government, can prepare for the process of land acquisition,” a diplomat, aware of the agreement India’s sole nuclear operator is signing with Westinghouse, said. “There has not be any takeover yet, but the bureaucracy can begin its work.”Politically, Modi has so far remained silent on the debate over proposed nuclear reactors raging across the nation over the past few years, from Jaitapur in Maharashtra to Haripur in Bengal and Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.Administratively, his government has been keen on nuclear power, and promptly agreed once the villages of Mithi Virdi and Jaspara were picked as sites for the Gujarat Nuclear Power Park in the shadow of the 2008 Indo-US nuclear deal authored by Singh and then US President George W. Bush.

Westinghouse and General Electric — the American nuclear firms that the two governments agreed would supply the first set of nuclear reactors under the 2008 agreement — remain unconvinced about India’s nuclear liability law.
The law, passed by Parliament in 2010, allows the NPCIL to seek partial compensation from suppliers if their reactors are involved in a nuclear accident. The US wants India to tweak the law. India has refused.The inability of the two nations to break this deadlock has triggered criticism of the Indo-US nuclear deal among some of its most vocal supporters, who argue that American firms aren’t getting the business they had hoped for.This tension was a key element of the agenda when US secretary of state John Kerry visited India in June and when Vice-President Joe Biden came in July. After his meeting with external affairs minister Salman Khurshid, Kerry announced that the two countries had agreed to conclude the “commercial agreement” between the NPCIL and Westinghouse by September — when Singh visits the US for a bilateral meet with President Barack Obama and for the UN General Assembly.

“This is not the commercial agreement,” a senior diplomat here said, stressing on the last three words. “But it’s significant, and it’s a milestone, make no mistake.”On the ground, it will outline a series of steps that Westinghouse and NPCIL will take next to move towards a final commercial agreement. Those steps will include negotiations on the liability law that Russia has also raised concerns over. Both firms are expected to make small financial and administrative commitments, officials said.And once the pact is signed, Modi may need to explicitly commit too.

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 08 Aug 2013 07:24

Funny there is no awareness about protests on ground in report body. Why would UPA govt award 6 nuclear reactors from USA to Gujarat first and not to a state govt run by con race? Gujarat already has power surplus. What is clarity on tech/safety/liability and concerns of people on ground for American reactors?

chetak · Post by **chetak** » 08 Aug 2013 11:54

SSridhar wrote:First Commercial Fast Breeder Reactor Almost Ready - The Hindu
Karaikudi: India’s first commercial fast breeder reactor, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), is almost ready and it would go critical by September next year, {it is official now and confirms earlier post here} according to Dr P.R. Vasudeva Rao, Director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR).

Talking to reporters here on Thursday after delivering the CSIR-CECRI Foundation Day 2013 lecture, Dr. Rao said 96 per cent of the PFBR construction by the Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI) had been completed.

After the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) certified safety aspects in different power levels, the PFBR would start generating power, he said. “As the AERB was very strict on safety measures it will take several months or a year to complete the process.”

Dr Rao said it was proposed to build two more PFBRs in Kalpakkam, besides a very large fuel cycle facility to fabricate and reprocess the spent fuel in the coming years.

Pointing out that the country would face a power deficit of 412 GWe by 2050 and 1.6 billion tonnes of coal would be required to fill the gap, he said India had no option but to go for a combination of nuclear, solar and wind energy.

As India had the world’s highest thorium resource, it could be used for generating power for the next 600 years, he said. However, the thorium had to be converted into a different form, which could be burnt in reactors, he said adding that the fast reactors could convert thorium into uranium 233 and that would enable to build more reactors.

Unwarranted interest?? or target location??

engineer arrested

engineer arrested Shaffir Ali, who was a diploma mechanical engineering graduate, had been employed as the structural engineer and enrolled with Code Engineering Company Limited, which is an authorized contractor to install the reactor and its work in Kalpakkam.

By Selvaraj A, Chennai
19 hours ago

engineer arrested The engineer was caught by the CISF head constable Baldev Singh at the exit gate when he tried to evade from the place. During examination his belongings, they found four pen drives and a card reader with him. Police found more than 400 photographs of the reactor, which is under construction, and some of the secluded places, which are restricted to enter by even the Kalpakkam atomic power plant staffs.

By Selvaraj A, Chennai
19 hours ago

engineer arrested An engineer M Shaffir Ali, 28, who was involved in the erection of the fast breeder reactor in Kalpakkam was apprehended for his suspicious movements inside the premises on Wednesday. He is a DMK cadre and holds a position in DMK youth wing in Madurantakam.

Arunkumar · Post by **Arunkumar** » 08 Aug 2013 12:19

vishvak wrote:Funny there is no awareness about protests on ground in report body. Why would UPA govt award 6 nuclear reactors from USA to Gujarat first and not to a state govt run by con race? Gujarat already has power surplus. What is clarity on tech/safety/liability and concerns of people on ground for American reactors?

The same question has been bothering me too. Setting up nuclear power plant in a power surplus state. [OT]US interest in gujrat and targeting of a CM?.[/OT].

kit · Post by **kit** » 08 Aug 2013 22:12

Nuclear power generation to the same extent of France or japan can go a big way in enhancing the economic progress of the country.Witness the economic fall out of the cheap shale gas and power generation in the US ., it has added nearly two points to their GDP ! The power projects have to be economically viable .

vishvak · Post by **vishvak** » 09 Aug 2013 00:53

There are several points here not one.

The whole ugly NSG story started as monopolistic arrangement immediately after Indian nuclear tests and 123 agreement is within the same context. While pukis ran around their nuke black market NSG did nothing so it has silent paki like behaviour but still NSG protests/sanctions unreasonably when monopolistic policies are questioned and go about doing pretentious sanctions drama. In other words, playing with pigs and getting dirty is a given.

Then there is puzzle of nuke tech in power surplus state. The vocal supporters of environmental protection and renewable energy should have by now come out in full protests for it makes little sense from the particular viewpoint. These people should be having a field day by now but their silence is deafening for American nuke reactors.

The tech part is also questionable completely. Russians are going to build many reactors of the most advanced type within Russia which shows the confidence level. Indians and Russian scientific communities have also worked on safety features and necessary safety requirements - while Americans were busy playing sanctions fights in mud. It is therefore valid that experts from India and Russia sign off on safety features and reject defective features completely. No voice heard on this either - even when USA is not pushing for nuke tech with design of 70s era within USA.

About costing part, how does viability part matter in terms of technology. Instead of paying government of India Gujarat will pay for Americans. So where are the details on costing part and why is there silence on this too?

Or may be USA wants to hijack credit bus of BJP ruled state with its 70s tech while the govt gets less.

Liability clause is still causing takleef even when selling 70s tech. That's another puzzle.

All the points above make little sense and still this deal goes on! Left to wonder only!

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 09 Aug 2013 06:03

chetak wrote:Unwarranted interest?? or target location??
engineer arrested

Apparently this guy had taken 400 pictures of the PFBR and he claims they were taken for documenting his work !

How did he escape for so long ?

Vipul · Post by **Vipul** » 09 Aug 2013 20:46

Only in India do we have lax security measures at such a high value facility of Strategic importance.Amost like a tourist taking photos.
How can an outside contractor get into an area where even the employees are not permitted and that too with a Camera?

kit · Post by **kit** » 11 Aug 2013 18:37

kit wrote:Nuclear power generation to the same extent of France or japan can go a big way in enhancing the economic progress of the country.Witness the economic fall out of the cheap shale gas and power generation in the US ., it has added nearly two points to their GDP ! The power projects have to be economically viable .

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/o ... epage=true

how many people listen ?!

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 12 Aug 2013 06:58

a rare interview, i think

Dr. Homi Sethna - One Of The Architects Of India's Nuclear Programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5R50ipWK2A4

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 12 Aug 2013 20:55

an old interview of Dr. K. Subrahmanyam speaking of the Imperatives Influencing India's Nuclear Weapon Programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3qvJjIVejZc

What thesis is he referring to. Typing in the the word phonetically, "General Galoa" turns up nothing related

ramana · Post by **ramana** » 12 Aug 2013 21:16

Pierre Gallois. He was French diplomat who wrote "Balance of Terror".
.

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 13 Aug 2013 15:34

another old interview
Dr. Raja Ramanna - Doyen Of India's Nuclear Programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MAkcwfYXnJc

ramana wrote:Pierre Gallois. He was French diplomat who wrote "Balance of Terror".
.

thank you.

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 14 Aug 2013 15:18

beloved Dr. Subramanian Swamy in defence of weaponisation of India's nuclear programme

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZLhn2CX58HQ

Atri · Post by **Atri** » 14 Aug 2013 17:23

when were these interviews recorded? 1985 ish?

Even K. Subramanyam garu looks quite young. So does Subramanian swamy. he did say that they way things were going, by year 2000, more practical people will be in power who will not hesitate in going full-fledged nuclear. well, close enough.

Dr. Swamy it seems had his fingers in many pies..

Saw this video after long time. What was the need for ABV to take Farooq Abdulla to pokhran. Perhaps to show him that we truly have the h-bomb so that he could pass it on to Pakis...

chaanakya · Post by **chaanakya** » 14 Aug 2013 22:08

Atri wrote:

Saw this video after long time. What was the need for ABV to take Farooq Abdulla to pokhran. Perhaps to show him that we truly have the h-bomb so that he could pass it on to Pakis...

To suspect Dr Abdullah's Patriotism would be so wrong. He is a politician but not closet paki or traitor. He was part of NDA if you remember. Please , Atri garu , do not insinuate something like this without valid ground.

Atri · Post by **Atri** » 15 Aug 2013 04:47

chaanakya wrote:
Atri wrote:

Saw this video after long time. What was the need for ABV to take Farooq Abdulla to pokhran. Perhaps to show him that we truly have the h-bomb so that he could pass it on to Pakis...
To suspect Dr Abdullah's Patriotism would be so wrong. He is a politician but not closet paki or traitor. He was part of NDA if you remember. Please , Atri garu , do not insinuate something like this without valid ground.

Not questioning their patriotism, chanakya ji.. Why will I and who am I? furthermore, Patriotism hardly means anything in the scenarios of complex understanding of affairs. After all, isn't it a maya anyways?

I had cleanest intent in mind. A power-holder in J&K has access to the other side through various means. Abdullah family has worked as some semi-autonomous subedaar of some distant province who pay allegiance to king (In this case, parliament of Republic of India) in return of goodies. Abdullahs have been pro-India since the days of his father, Sheikh abdullah. Rather, like most of the jaagirdaars of India, they too have been part of pro-Nehruvian system which we refer to as C-system today. It is part of an intricate power-balance. In C-system dominated ROI polity, a mediator like abdullah's is essential. Whilst army ensures that J&K remains in India, the abdullah family provides the necessary ruse de guerre.

India runs on the basis of jaati networks. An information which is witnessed first hand by elder Abdullah himself, when narrated in appropriate circles in Srinagar and rest of whole J&K has much different effect and impact. The loyalties of networks in J&K are of highly dubious nature. Abdullahs are pro-India (relatively) but there are limits there. They cannot be tilting more pro-India than nehruvians. The pro-india tilt of nehruvians themselves is highly questionable, hence we talk of PIF on BRF.

member_27444 · Post by **member_27444** » 15 Aug 2013 08:32

If Faroukh is in the know, it is good and will be known to the all concerned. That was the intent of patriots (who were at the scene) in question.
Sometimes flaunting is good and no faulting in that

Hiten · Post by **Hiten** » 15 Aug 2013 23:19

pakistani Dr. Abdus Salam has words of praise for India's Dr. Homi Bhabha, especially in his role as the President of the 1st UN Geneva Conference on peaceful use of Atomic Energy

the full interview, if anyone is interested
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WSpEmKtbqZA

SSridhar · Post by **SSridhar** » 17 Aug 2013 10:07

Air Marshal Meets KKNPP Top Brass - The Hindu

Air Marshal R.K. Jolly, Air Officer Commanding-in-Chief, Southern Air Command, Indian Air Force (IAF), visited Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) on Friday and held brief discussion with the top officials there during his 130 minutes stay at the high-security nuclear complex.

Even as the construction of the 2 x 1,000 MWe nuclear reactors of KKNPP reached the advanced stage, the Union Government, which had already deployed Central Industrial Security Force jawans all over the sprawling complex close to the beach, deployed around 100 Indian Air Force personnel, who have installed sophisticated array of weapons including anti-aircraft systems at vantage points.

To meet his subordinates and to discuss the security scenario with Site Director, KKNPP R.S. Sundar, as the first unit is all set to generate 400 MWe power before August-end, Air Marshal Jolly landed at the helipad on the KKNPP premises in a IAF chopper at 9.35 a.m. and he left by 11.45 a.m. after the discussions.

“The IAF has its presence in all nuclear installations to strengthen aerial security and the IAF, in this line, has established its presence here too. This is only a routine affair and nothing unusual,” said a top official of KKNPP.

arun · Post by **arun** » 03 Sep 2013 19:15

X Posted from the “India-US Strategic News and Discussion” thread.

The Washington Post citing documents leaked by Edward Snowden is reporting that there was (is?) a US effort to spy on India’s Nuclear weapons:

The budget documents indicate that U.S. intelligence agencies are also focused on the security of the nuclear program in India, ¬Pakistan’s arch-rival.

From here:

Top-secret U.S. intelligence files show new levels of distrust of Pakistan

Theo_Fidel · Post by **Theo_Fidel** » 13 Sep 2013 09:07

Valve problem delays Kudankulam sync with grid

http://www.thehindu.com/news/national/t ... epage=true

He said the systems will be checked while increasing the power levels. “Till the unit gets stabilised at a certain level, power generation will be increased and decreased,” he said.

“Two valves inside the condenser in the first unit seem to have got stuck and they were later set right. NPCIL officials had to go to the root cause of the problem so that it does not occur again which in turn has taken time,” a source told IANS.

suryag · Post by **suryag** » 17 Sep 2013 14:37

The Thorium Question - An interview with India's nuclear czar

Mother promise i didnt understand even 5% of this article learned gurus please comment

posting here in full - for archiving

Dr RK Sinha took over as Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) and Secretary, Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) last year. Besides heading India's nuclear estate he is also known as one of the leading lights of thorium based reactor research globally. 'Geek at Large' caught up with him at his South Block office to get some insights into what lay ahead technologically for India's civil nuclear program in the years to come. A longer version of this interview will appear in the forthcoming October edition of Geopolitics (http://geopolitics.in/)

What is the status of the Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) project ?
Has a site been finalized for it?Well, the consultancy contract for design of conventional systems was awarded three years ago. Most of the design drawings, etc. are ready now. Our validation process is now proceeding on twin tracks. You would note that the AHWR removes core heat from the system through natural circulation (convection) of the coolant under both normal working as well as shutdown conditions, which eliminates the need for pumps driven by electrical power that we see in most other reactor designs. For this purpose, a single coolant channel of the AHWR design has been tested in BARC for a rating of up to 2.5 - 3 MWt to confirm removal of heat from the system by natural circulation. I would point out that we are being conservative about the margins here and testing for a higher level of heat removal will be needed to exactly determine the full margin and assess if the rated power of the reactor can be accordingly raised. To do that we are setting up a large scale AHWR thermal hydraulic test facility (ATTF), with nearly 17 MWt heating capacity for two coolant channels.The ATTF will validate the AHWR's full potential to remove core heat through natural circulation.The experiments will thereby also show that much greater levels of decay heat than what can possibly ensue in the event of an emergency shutdown will be removed by the AHWR through natural circulation.In addition to this, the AHWR has many other passive safety features, including a gravity driven water pool (GDWP) containing 6600 m3 of water that can provide emergency cooling to the core. The GDWP, along with other passive safety measures means that even in a Fukushima type scenario, decay heat can be removed from the AHWR under total station blackout conditions, without availability of any external source of water or operator action for a period of 110 days at a stretch. With such features, the AHWR is considered safe enough to build a case before the regulatory authority for locating the reactor near a population centre. The other track is, of course, proceeding at the Critical Facility located at BARC Trombay, which was commissioned in 2009 to test the reactor physics side of the design. Now, as far as site selection for the AHWR is concerned, we haven't identified a site as of now. Given the nature of the AHWR - it is essentially a technology demonstration project- and the fact that it won't contribute a lot of power (about 300 MWe), it doesn't really make sense to have a stand-alone site for it. On the other hand, the small size of the AHWR means that it can be accommodated at an existing site, preferably close to the R&D community.

So what is the time horizon for large scale deployment of thorium based reactors?
The 2040s, I would say. We have to keep in mind the need for optimisation of fissile fuel (uranium and plutonium) requirements for a sustainable path of accelerated growth. Obtaining enough fissile material (since Th-232 itself isn't fissile) before we execute a true thorium based cycle is a key consideration and we estimate that it will become possible by the early 2040s.

What about the AHWR- Low Enriched Uranium (LEU) variant?
Could that be deployed faster? Well yes. Enriched uranium is more readily available. The AHWR-LEU uses 19.75 percent enriched uranium along with Thorium, which comprises 80 percent of the entire mix.This design has enhanced proliferation resistance owing to the presence of U-232 (with high radioactive decay products) in the spent fuel from the reactor. Using the separated U-233 (along with U-232) is therefore very challenging. Moreover, plutonium generation in this design is less, as compared to other designs. Also, dissolving thorium oxide, a highly stable ceramic, is in itself a stiff challenge. These challenges would make AHWR and AHWR-LEU spent fuel difficult to divert for proliferation objectives. The burn-up for the AHWR-LEU is about 60000 MW/d (per day) and the reactor is extremely stable.

Coming back to the issue of securing enough fissile material, how is India currently placed in terms of thorium based fuel reprocessing ?
A huge amount of research on the technologies for front as well as back-end of U-233 - thorium fuel cycle has been done in India, and now the efforts are directed towards establishing industrial scale technologies, which will be demonstrated (along with the advanced passive safety features of AHWR), when the reactor and its associated fuel cycle facilities are operational.

Of late there is renewed interest in thorium based nuclear power in other countries as well. China for instance is beginning to prioritize this as a research area, especially the investigation into molten salt reactor (MSR) technology for thorium utilization. Is there any danger of India's lead in the thorium domain eroding?
To the best of my knowledge nobody in the world has, till date, closed the thorium fuel cycle on an industrial scale. I think, our activities in the area of thorium research are more advanced towards that end than anybody else's. Our leadership in the area of scientific publications covering thorium based research establishes that.India is also investigating Molten Salt Reactor (MSR) technology. We have molten salt loops operational at BARC.

Looking at the second stage now, what is the current status of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR)? When will we see metallic fuel loaded onto it?
You can say that early commissioning activities are underway. Fuel is being supplied from Tarapur and the testing of equipment, to be eventually installed in PFBR, under 'hot sodium' conditions is underway in the sodium based facilities at IGCAR. The reactor is scheduled to attain criticality by end 2014, but physics and low power experiments will continue beyond that and the rise in power generated by the PFBR will be gradual.As far as the timing of metallic fuel loading is concerned, this is still an open question as more R&D needs to be conducted in this sphere. R&D activities in this direction have been intensified during the XII Plan (2012-17) period. Our goal is to have this fuel available by the mid 2020's.

Do you think there is now greater appreciation of India's advocacy of closed fuel cycles?
Well, internationally there is a recognition of the need for closed fuel cycles to extend fissile sources.

So what about the India's own Integrated Nuclear Recycle Plant?
The Plan proposal for setting up INRP is currently in the process of government approval.

And the Fast Reactor Fuel Recycle Plant?
That has already received cabinet approval, and the activities at the site should begin very soon.

Is India also researching laser enrichment technologies?
We have a programme for this.

How is India placed in terms of accelerator driven sub-critical systems (ADSS) research since that is seen as one of the ways to use thorium sustainably as well as deal with high level waste including actinides?
A lot of activities are happening in this domain. Again, they are taking place on two fronts. In the first, we are developing the technologies necessary for superconducting radio frequency (SCRF) cavity based linear accelerators (LINACs). The key technologies include cryostats, niobium resonators, RF electronics, test stands etc. On the other front, we are indigenising previously imported equipment common to both normal and superconducting type LINACs, such as klystrons etc. A 20 MeV 30 mA proton LINAC is being set up in project mode at BARC, Trombay during the 12th Plan period. A large superconducting RF cavity based accelerator will come up in the new Vizag campus.DAE institutions involved in this domain of activity include RRCAT, VECC and BARC. I think a lot of competence in the ADSS domain is getting developed through projects being executed in these institutions.

Could you give us an update on the Compact high temperature reactor (CHTR) and (High temperature reactor) programmes which are seen as a pathway to delivering process heat requirements at lower cost and generating hydrogen economically?
A cold version of the CHTR with dummy fuel is being set up at BARC, Trombay. It will be moved to the BARC campus at Vizag when the new site gets ready. The reactor will be built there.The CHTR programme has led to the development of special components and materials needed for high temperature systems like beryllium oxide blocks (which serve as moderator in the CHTR), graphite as well as carbon-carbon composite based tubes (that will contain fuel), molten lead-bismuth alloy (coolant), and Niobium - Zirconium alloy (a structural material).The HTR development will come up at the new BARC campus in Vizag. The HTR is a design meant for hydrogen production. The design studies for the HTR have been concluded. Investigation currently focuses on different high efficiency thermo-chemical processes for hydrogen production, including the highly challenging iodine-sulphur process.Incidentally, the Vizag facility will look at a whole spectrum of hydrogen related technologies and not just its production.

sum · Post by **sum** » 17 Sep 2013 15:04

^^ Wow...was just reading the same article via FB since the interviewer was a friend's frined and so linked onto my wall and came to BR to post the link!!

In RM-ji's words, AWMTA!!

nvishal · Post by **nvishal** » 17 Sep 2013 16:07

^ above thorium interview is full-too indian english. I had a professor in college who talked like that, it would leave in a hangover

Sanku · Post by **Sanku** » 19 Sep 2013 12:56

Govt pushes US agenda ahead of PM visit

It could be Manmohan Singh's last visit to the United States as the Prime Minister, but the Indian government already has an agenda in place- signing an agreement for setting up of six Nuclear reactors in Gujarat. But a super-critical Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) note with TIMES NOW shows that in its haste to get the deal signed, the government appears to have overlooked several key factors, including security concerns. The note details plans to bypass the Atomic Energy Commission, a move that has raised questions.

More sell out by Man mohan, exactly on the lines of previous sell out, just before elections, in order to minimize exposure to Indian parliament and people and get maximum help from US for elections in India.