CHENNAI: India’s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam has achieved first criticality, marking a major milestone in the second stage of the country’s nuclear programme. The sodium-cooled, pool-type reactor, developed indigenously by BHAVINI with support from over 200 Indian industries, is designed to produce more fuel than it consumes using a closed fuel cycle, enabling long-term use of India’s thorium reserves. With this achievement, India moves closer to becoming the second country after Russia to operate a commercial fast breeder reactor, strengthening energy security and advancing clean, self-reliant power generation.
500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam Achieves First Criticality
