had to happen!, page-6

india also jumping on! http://www.hindu.com/thehindu/holnus/002200506052230.htm

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India readies itself for quantum jump in nuclear power
Hyderabad, June 5.(UNI): Amid its first 500 MWe reactor under construction at Kalpakkam, India is looking at its Fast Breeder Reactors (FBRs) to give the "quantum jump" to its nuclear power generation as it has a potential to generate 500,000 megawatts(MWe) of electricity, Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) Chairman Anil Kakodkar indicated today.

India has Fast Breeder Test Reactor of 40 MWth at Kalpakkam in Tamilnadu and construction is underway for the country's first 500 MWe Reactor there.

The design of Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor is in advanced stage and it is likely to be commissioned in 2010-2011.

This forms the second stage of India's three-staged nuclear energy programme drafted targetting generation of 20,000 MWe of electricity by 2020, the AEC Chairman said during his interaction with the media on the sidelines of the 14th National Symposium on Environment which began at Osmania University here.

The thrust of the first stage of the "20000 MWe by 2020" programme is on Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWRs) to generate 10,000 MWe.

Currently India has fourteen reactors in operation and eight other reactors under construction.

The total capacity of the operating PHWRs reactors is about 2800 MWe which will be increased to 4500 MWe by 2008.

En route India has recently commissioned its first large size PHWR of 540 MWe capacity upgrading from the earlier 220 MWe capacity PHWR at Tarapur, Kota, Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar and Kaiga.

Design is underway for 700 MWe PHWR.

The second stage with FBRs is to provide atleast 5000 MWe though the potential is estimated at five lakh MWe from FBRs.

In the third stage reactors will be based on large scale utilisation of U-233 which will be produced at Stage-Two (from FBRs). Work is on in designing the 3000 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor to use Thorium, he added.