Units 1 and 2 of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam district are "under pre-project activities", the government informed today.
In a written response to a question in Rajya Sabha on present status on nuclear power projects, Minister for State in Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh said the work on PFBR was in pre-project activities stage, which involves feasibility study and land acquisition.
The Department of Atomic Energy comes directly under the Prime Minister's Office.
In a response to another question, Singh said that units 3 and 4 of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant (KAPP) are 78.6 and 63.4 per cent complete respectively, whereas unit 7 and 8 of Rahasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPS) are 60.9 and 49.9 per cent complete.
Earlier, in an interaction with reporters in Hyderbabad on December 1, the Chairman and Managing Director of Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited (BHAVINI), which is responsible for building Prototype Fast Breeder Reactors (PBFR), P Chellapandi said that unit 1 is likely to become critical in March-April 2016.
Achieving criticality is one of the final stages before the reactor starts generating electricity and officially commissioned, he said.
"AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) had already sent many specialists to the PFBR and we are also going for review process. Some experts are going to meet this month and we are likely to get clearance for sodium charging.
"After this we have to get clearance for fuel loading and that may happen in January-February and the reactor may become critical in March or April 2016," Chellapandi said.
