Chennai: The Department of Atomic Energy will set up four fast breeder reactors in the country by 2017, a top official said here yesterday (Jan 30, 2007).

Addressing reporters after a workshop on "Career and Research Opportunities for Physicists and Chemists", Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research's Director Baldev Raj said two of the fast breeder reactors (FBRs) will be built at the existing nuclear facility at Kalpakkam.

"Two reactors, each with a capacity to generate 500 MW, will come up at Kalpakkam. The pre-project activity report would be ready by 2010 and the programme will be launched by 2011. This will be completed by 2017.

"The FBRs will be oxide fuelled with an option to change to metallic fuel. Metallic fuel technology is very far off and may be ready only by 2020," he said.

Raj said the department was looking for a location to set up the other two reactors. Once the four reactors were in place by 2017, electricity could be supplied for as little as Rs 2.50 a unit.

The reactors will need an investment of Rs 2,500 crore each. "The ideal situation will be to launch the four reactors simultaneously," he said.

The first component of the prototype FBR, the safety vessel, will be lowered into the reactor containment vault by April. "There are no major difficulties in commissioning the prototype reactor by 2010," he said.

On alleged radiation at uranium mines in Jharkhand, he said all nuclear installations in the country were being monitored closely in line with international stipulations.