Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant | Uranium Enrichment

Context:

India and Russia ink pacts on construction of future power units of Kudankulam nuclear power plant (KNPP).

Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP):

• State – Tamil Nadu
• India’s largest nuclear power plant with the technical assistance of Russia.
• Two 1,000 megawatt (MW) units were constructed in phase one of the project.
• Expected to start operating at full capacity in 2027.

India’s Nuclear Power Program:

• 1^st stage –
  • Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) will be used to produce energy from natural uranium.
  • They also produce fissile plutonium (Pu)-239.
• 2^nd stage –
  • Using Fast Breeder Reactors fueled by Pu-239 to produce energy and more of Pu-239.
  • Here, the reactor produces more fissile material than it consumes.
• 3^rd stage –
  • Use of Pu-239 recovered from the second stage, in combination with thorium-232, to produce energy and U-233.
  • U-233 would then be used as fuel.

Uranium:

• Natural uranium – a mixture largely of 2 isotopes –
  • Uranium-238 (U-238) – 99.3%
  • Uranium-235 (U-235) – 0.7%.
• Low Enriched Uranium –
  • U-235 concentration between 0.711 percent and 20 percent
  • Used for energy production.
• Highly Enriched Uranium –
  • U-235 concentration greater than 20 percent
  • Used in naval propulsion reactors, nuclear weapons, etc.

Download Nuclear Power Plants in India Map

Source: Indian Express

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Previous Year Question

The function of heavy water in a nuclear reactor is to

[UPSC Civil Services Exam – 2011 Prelims]

(a) Slow down the speed of neutrons
(b) Increase the speed of neutrons
(c) Cool down the reactor
(d) Both (a) and (c)

Answer: (a)

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