India has been pursuing its robust three stage nuclear programme designed to maximise the energy potential from its domestic uranium and thorium resources and contribute around 25 per cent share of electricity generation in the country by the year 2050. The objective is to realise the huge energy potential that is realisable from these nuclear energy resources without having to add to the global carbon dioxide burden. The programme is moving ahead steadily with the first stage consisting of indigenously developed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) well into a commercially successful programme. The second stage has commenced with the construction of 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) which is now fairly advanced. The third stage is about to begin with the start of construction of a technology demonstrator, the 300 MWe Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR). The three stages are being implemented sequentially to reach the goal of large scale thorium utilisation and are linked through their respective fuel cycles which are also well underway.

Kaiga-3 (a 220 MWe PHWR) which achieved its first criticality on February 26, 2007 within 5 years from the first pour of concrete, was synchronised to the grid on April 11, 2007 and started commercial operations on May 6, 2007. With completion of Kaiga-3, there are now 17 nuclear power reactors in operation, the total installed capacity being 4120 MWe. The Indian nuclear power sector has achieved over 270 reactor years of safe, accident free operations. Major ageing management activities including Enmasse Coolant Channel Replacement (EMCCR) were completed in NAPS-1 and the reactor is expected to come back on-line shortly. With this, four PHWRs (RAPS-2, MAPS-1&2, NAPS-1) now have their coolant

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