This press release of the eminent nuclear scientists should be viewed in the light of another very important statement made by the Director of the IGCAR, Kalpakkam, Dr.Baldev Raj just yesterday and reported in the "New Indian Express" exclusively. He has stated that India's first 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) is fast nearing completion and will go critical in Sept 2010. He has further stated that 4 more FBRs of 500 MW each would be constructed between 2010 and 2020. After this India will go for 1000 MW FBRs. One of the great features of FBRs is that they produce more nuke fuel than they consume. So if we have enough FBRs then technically we can almost produce double the fuel consumed in a short cycle time. But this also needs the use of metallic uranium than the mixed oxide fuel presently being used. However, this requires intensive R&D effort, which is now underway at Kalpakkam. Dr.Baldev Raj is very confident that the team of able scientists at Kalpakkam will master this most sought-after tachnology and know-how eluding even France and Russia because India's FBR technology is far more advanced and superior to that developed by them. But what really Dr. Raj, who is an eminent Nuclear Metallurgist, means by the above statements is that Indian nuke research establishment is on the threshold of great developments, all of which need unstinted support and non-interference from the govt in general and polico-buraucratic set up in particular.This is not happening.
