UI-017 | Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, India | What’s the Big Deal?

You may have learnt from media news that the Indian Prime Minister, Sri. Narendra Modi inaugurated on 4th March, 2024, the ‘core loading’ of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, 80 kms from Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
Many people, both in India and abroad ask: Why is this such a big deal?
Because the significance and importance of this event are lost over them, for want of proper and simple explanation!
We will explain these in this video, based entirely on sound analysis of facts and economic, scientific and technical data, available in public domain, but presented in an extremely simple manner, so that common people can understand very easily.
It is also very useful to students of science, economics, public policy etc.

We have given the document references for all resources used in this video, in the description below.

So, what are the significance and importance of “Core Loading” in a “Fast Breeder Reactor”?

To answer that question, we need to answer a number of other questions:
* What is Nuclear fusion?
* How is a Fast Breeder Reactor (FBR) different from a Thermal Reactor?
* Why does India need a Fast Breeder Reactor/
* Is the FBR safe? Or risky and dangerous?

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KEY MOMENTS ( TIMESTAMPS)

00:00 Intro
01:02 Nuclear Fission
01:52 Thermal Reactor
02:34 Fast Breeder Reactor
03:32 Significance of Core Loading at Kalpakkam
04:27 Why does India need FBR?
04:34 India’s Economic Ambitions
06:11 India’s Power Requirements & Sources
07:47 India’s Commitments on Carbon Emissions
08:48 Importance of Nuclear Energy for India
09:29 Thermal Reactor & FBR Compared
10:23 India’s Thorium Reserves
12:15 3 Stages of India’s Nuclear Power Program
12:57 Fast Breeder Test Reactor
13:59 Closed Fuel Cycle
15:10 Safety Measures for FBR
17:40 Conclusion

LIST OF RESOURCES & REFERENCES
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VIDEOS

1. India’s fast reactor program
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MGDCyj6LxaU

2. Fast Breeder Reactor
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dglAgTqYTUw

3. What is a Fast Breeder Reactor?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4TEyQBN0SGA

DOCUMENTS / ARTICLES

1. Documents in Public Domain at website of IGCAR of Dept. of Atomic Energy, India
https://www.igcar.gov.in/

2. Notification of Press Information Bureau: from Office of Prime Minister, India
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleaseIframePage.aspx?PRID=2011347

2. Power Sector at a Glance ALL INDIA
https://powermin.gov.in/en/content/power-sector-glance-all-india

3. India’s GDP
https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=2010223#:~:text=Nominal%20GDP%20or%20GDP%20at,growth%20rate%20of%209.1%20percent.

4. India’s Power Requirements
https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/industry/energy/power/achieving-24×7-electricity-supply-for-all-in-2024-indias-focus-on-coal-and-renewables/articleshow/106264850.cms?from=mdr#

https://energy.economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/power/indias-power-demand-projected-to-reach-366-gw-by-2030-capacity-expansion-to-900-gw-targeted/106971394#:~:text=%E2%80%9CIn%202030%2C%20our%20peak%20demand,economic%20growth%20and%20developmental%20objectives.