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New Delhi: India crossed a defining threshold in its energy journey on the evening of April 6, 2026. The 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor -- commonly known as the PFBR -- achieved first criticality at 8:25 PM at the Kalpakkam nuclear facility in Tamil Nadu, confirming the start of a controlled fission chain reaction inside the reactor core. What First Criticality Means and Why It Matters First criticality is the moment a nuclear reactor sustains a controlled chain reaction for the first time. For India, this is not just a technical checkpoint -- it is the opening of an entirely new chapter in domestic energy production. The PFBR is the only operating fast breeder reactor of its scale being developed outside Russia, making this achievement globally significant. The reactor was cleared by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) only after a detailed and rigorous safety review of all plant systems, confirming that every safety parameter was fully met before the reactor was allowed to go critical. The Technology Behind the Reactor What sets the PFBR apart from India's existing fleet of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors is its fuel cycle. The reactor runs on Uranium-Plutonium Mixed Oxide fuel, with its core surrounded by a blanket of Uranium-238. Fast-moving neutrons strike this blanket and convert the fertile Uranium-238 into fissile Plutonium-239 -- meaning the reactor generates more usable fuel than it actually consumes. Furthermore, the blanket will eventually incorporate Thorium-232, which through nuclear transmutation becomes Uranium-233. That converted fuel will power the third and final stage of India's nuclear programme. This closed fuel cycle also dramatically reduces radioactive waste compared to conventional reactors, addressing a long-standing concern around nuclear energy sustainability. Indigenous Effort -- IGCAR and BHAVINI Lead the Way The entire design and technology development of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor was carried out by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research, a research institution under the Department of Atomic Energy. Construction and commissioning were handled by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Limited, a PSU also under the Department of Atomic Energy. The project used predominantly indigenous components, materials and manufacturing processes -- a significant demonstration of Atmanirbhar Bharat in one of the world's most demanding engineering disciplines. The milestone was witnessed by Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary of DAE and Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission, along with senior officials from IGCAR and BHAVINI.
Chennai: India's fast breeder reactor programme achieved twin milestones this week. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, marked 40 years of attaining first criticality. Meanwhile, engineers began loading fuel into the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), the country's most advanced and complex atomic power plant.Officials said the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) recently granted permission for fuel loading into the 500 MW ...Read More >
CHENNAI: The Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in Kalpakkam has marked 40 years since the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) first went critical on 18 October 1985, celebrating the milestone of India's pioneering indigenous fast breeder programme. The 40 MWt/13.6 MWe sodium-cooled reactor has remained central to India's nuclear advancement, conceived as a test bed for advanced fuels and structural materials. Over four decades, it has generated vital operational data that has informed the design and development of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) and future reactor system ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: In a big boost for India's civil nuclear energy production, the indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu has attained criticality.Congratulating Indian scientists and engineers on the reactor attaining criticality, PM Narendra Modi posted on X, "Today, India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme."This advanced reactor, capable of producing more fuel than it consumes, reflects the depth of our scientific capability and the strength of our engineering enterprise. I ...Read More >
New Delhi, Oct 17 (PTI) India's most complex atomic power plant -- the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor -- moved a step forward as engineers started loading fuel into the unit, which will be the only second of its kind in the world. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granted permission for loading fuel into the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor being developed by the Bhartiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (BHAVINI) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. "We faced technical problems in loading the fuel in March last year. We have solved those problems, and got the regulatory clearance to load fuel on ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], December 17 (ANI): Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science and Technology and Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh on Wednesday addressed questions raised by Opposition MPs regarding the recently tabled 'The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill, 2025'. Taking part in the debate in Lok Sabha on Wednesday, Singh said that certain Opposition MPs were pushing "contradictory" facts and statements. He said that a lot of provisions mentioned in the new bill were already there in the previous legislation. "There were certain obje ...Read More >
Lucknow, Apr 7 (PTI) Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Tuesday said the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam stands as a symbol of India's technological excellence and national ambition. He said the achievement reinforces India's rise as a global energy leader. In an X post, Adityanath said, "India enters a new era of nuclear strength. The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam stands as a symbol of our technological excellence and national ambition. By harnessing our vast thorium reserves, Bharat is taking a decisive step towards energy supremacy and l ...Read More >
India will be able to address the apprehensions of the private sector globally about investments in the civil nuclear sector, which was opened up to achieve the ambitious target of producing 100 GW of atomic power by 2047, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has asserted. Mr. Singh, who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy, said changes in relevant rules and legislations will have to be made to facilitate the entry of the private sector in the field of nuclear energy, which currently is under tigh ...Read More >
New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu has attained criticality, marking a major milestone in India's "civil nuclear journey". The Prime Minister described the development as a "defining step" that advances the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme. "India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme," he said in a post on X. The PFBR, which has been indigenously designed and built, is capable of producing more fuel than it ...Read More >
Surat (Gujarat) [India], April 7 (ANI): India possesses vast nuclear energy resources, particularly thorium reserves, that can generate around 5,000 units of electricity per person per year for nearly 500 years, but greater public awareness is needed to address safety concerns and accelerate adoption. Speaking to ANI on India's advancing nuclear programme, Senior Scientist, Department of Atomic Energy, Neelam Goyal said that electricity remains the backbone of India's economy, supporting agriculture, industry and services. Also Read | 'Completely False': Sundar C and Wife Khushbu Slam Fake M ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday said India had taken a "defining step" in its civil nuclear journey after the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained criticality, marking a major milestone in the country's nuclear energy programme.In a post on X, PM Modi said the indigenously designed and built reactor represented progress in the second stage of India's three-stage nuclear programme and underlined the country's long-term goal of tapping its large thorium reserves."Today, India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage o ...Read More >
Hyderabad: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday announced that indigenously designed and built 500 megawatt Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam has attained criticality -- which means that it is producing more nuclear fuel than it is consume. This makes India only the second country to run breeder reactors after Russia. Criticality means the start of controlled fission chain reaction: In the PFBR, it means producing more nuclear fuel and electric power. The PFBR runs on a mix of Plutonium-239 (the 'fire) and Uranium-238 ('the breeding ground'). This mix fires atomic particle ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 8 (SocialNews.XYZ) The International Energy Agency (IEA) on Wednesday praised India and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the successful achievement of the first criticality of the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), calling it an important technological milestone. In a post on X, the global energy body lauded Indian scientists and engineers for the achievement, which comes after years of development. The IEA said the reactor will use significantly less nuclear fuel compared to conventional reactors and would help pave the way for a "pathway towards a closed fuel cy ...Read More >
Chennai: India's fast breeder reactor programme achieved twin milestones this week. The Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR) at the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam, marked 40 years of attaining first criticality. Meanwhile, engineers began loading fuel into the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), the country's most advanced and complex atomic power plant.Officials said the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) recently granted permission for fuel loading into the 500 MWe PFBR being developed by Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam (BHAVINI) at Kalpakkam. The reactor is e ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded India's first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam for attaining criticality, calling it a "defining step in India's civil nuclear journey". In a post on X, the PM reflected on the strengths of the reactor and recognised this as a "decisive step towards harnessing our vast thorium reserves." Expressing pride over the achievement, the PM congratulated the scientists and engineers involved in the programme. Also Read | Breach of Discipline During PM Modi Rally: Kerala Police Begins Probe Into Offi ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (PTI) Union Home Minister Amit Shah on Monday congratulated scientists for building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam as it attained criticality, a development he described as a "new epoch" in India's civil nuclear programme. India's 500 Mwe-Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam achieved first criticality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday. First criticality in a fast breeder reactor is the moment when the nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining. In a post on X, Shah said, "New epoch in our civil nuclear program. ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: India has taken a major step towards nuclear fuel self-reliance after its indigenously developed Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained criticality, marking the start of a controlled nuclear reaction and advancing the country's long-term atomic energy programme.The milestone, confirmed on Monday, marks a crucial stage before full power generation begins. Once operational, the reactor is expected to play a key role in India's plan to scale nuclear power capacity to 100 gigawatts by 2047, from the current level of around eight gigawatts.Prime Minister Narendra Mod ...Read More >
New Delhi, April 6 (SocialNews.XYZ) Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday hailed the country's scientists for indigenously designing and building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu. The Prime Minister said that India has taken a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme. "The indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam has attained criticality," he said. The Prime Minister added that this advanced reactor, capable of producing more fuel than it consumes, reflects the depth of th ...Read More >
NEW DELHI - As India and Singapore explore newer areas of cooperation such as nuclear energy and green initiatives, Deputy Prime Minister Gan Kim Yong said the two Asian partners needed to collaborate even more, given the increasingly "volatile landscape" globally. DPM Gan, who was on an official trip to India earlier this week, visited the financial capital Mumbai on Aug 12 to look at Singapore projects. He then led the Singapore delegation at the third edition of the India-Singapore Ministerial Roundtable (ISMR) in the capital city New Delhi on Aug 13. The ISMR, which held its first meet ...Read More >
CHENNAI: India on Monday achieved a major milestone in its civil nuclear programme, with the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attaining criticality, the stage at which a controlled, self-sustaining nuclear chain reaction begins. Prime Minister Narendra Modi described it as a "defining step" in advancing the second stage of India's nuclear programme. "The indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam has attained criticality... a decisive step towards harnessing our vast thorium reserves," he said in a post on X, congratulating scientists and eng ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 7 (PTI) With India's first indigenous prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu attaining criticality on Monday, experts said the development is a significant boost to the country's three-stage nuclear programme. Formulated in the 1950s by Dr Homi Bhabha, the programme seeks to make India self-reliant in the nuclear power sector by exploiting the vast thorium reserves found in the monazite sands of the coastal regions of south India. Talking to PTI, Debasish Mishra, partner at Deloitte India, said, "The PFBR reaching criticality is a seminal moment in In ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 6 (ANI): Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Monday lauded India's first indigenous Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam for attaining criticality, calling it a "defining step in India's civil nuclear journey". In a post on X, the PM reflected on the strengths of the reactor and recognised this as a "decisive step towards harnessing our vast thorium reserves." Expressing pride over the achievement, the PM congratulated the scientists and engineers involved in the programme. "Today, India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stag ...Read More >
NEW DELHI: With the indigenously built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam attaining criticality, the Congress on Tuesday said this is the result of over three decades of effort and it would have only been proper for Prime Minister Narendra Modi to have acknowledged the continuity in this stupendous achievement. Congress general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh said the reactor was the result of over three decades of dedicated, dogged, disciplined, and determined effort on the part of the country's nuclear energy establishment, the foundations of which were laid by the ...Read More >
New Delhi, July 20: Union Minister Jitendra Singh, who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy, has said that changes in relevant rules and legislations will have to be made to facilitate the entry of the private sector in the field of nuclear energy, which currently is under tight control of the Centre. "The announcement has already been made in the Union Budget, but we will have to frame rules, also possible legislation to actually move on, which will take a lot of consideration, a lot of introspection," Singh told PTI in an exclusive video interview. Singh said the decision to open up th ...Read More >
Chennai, Apr 7 (UNI) The Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) announced that in a landmark achievement for India's nuclear energy programme, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has successfully attained first criticality (start of controlled fission chain reaction) at IGCAR campus in Kalpakkam, about 70 km from here. The indigenously built PFBR attained criticality yesterday night (April 6, 2026) at 2026 hrs marking a historic step in providing long term energy security and advancing indigenous nuclear technology capabilities. The DAE in a release here on Tuesday said the critical ...Read More >
New Delhi [India], April 7 (ANI): In a landmark achievement for India's nuclear energy programme, the 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) has successfully attained first criticality (start of controlled fission chain reaction) on 6th April 2026 at 08:25 PM marking a historic step in providing long-term energy security and advancing indigenous nuclear technology capabilities, according to the Department of Atomic Energy. The criticality was achieved in the presence of Dr Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Secretary, DAE & Chairman, AEC, Sreekumar G Pillai, Director, IGCAR, Allu Ananth, CMD-In-Charg ...Read More >
India's Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) reaching criticality marks a significant advancement in the country's energy security. This achievement underscores India's competency in nuclear technology, positioning it uniquely in global energy innovation. The development paves the way for future advancements and potential scale-ups in India's nuclear power strategy. Experts in the nuclear sector celebrated India's achievement of criticality in its Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR). This milestone is pivotal for energy security, especially as India seeks to reduce reliance on fossil fuel ...Read More >
New Delhi: India will be able to address the apprehensions of the private sector globally about investments in the civil nuclear sector, which was opened up to achieve the ambitious target of producing 100 GW atomic power by 2047, Union Minister Jitendra Singh has asserted. Singh, who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy, said changes in relevant rules and legislations will have to be made to facilitate the entry of the private sector in the field of nuclear energy, which currently is under tight control of the government. "The announcement has already been made in the Union Budget, but ...Read More >
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Nuclear power currently contributes 3 per cent of India's electricity generation. New Delhi: India took a significant step towards energy independence on 6 April 2026, when the indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attained first criticality. This moment marked the start of a sustained and controlled nuclear chain reaction in the 500 MWe reactor, a technology India has pursued for decades. With this achievement, the country formally entered the seco ...Read More >
New Delhi, Apr 6 (UNI) Prime Minister Narendra Modi today announced that India has reached a significant milestone in its civil nuclear programme, with the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam attaining criticality. In a post on X, the Prime Minister described the development as a "defining step" in the country's nuclear journey. "Today, India takes a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme," Modi said. Highlighting the significance of the achievement, he added, "The indigenously designed and built Prototype Fast Breed ...Read More >
India's first prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR) in Tamil Nadu's Kalpakkam on Monday (April 6, 2026) came another step forward in its civil nuclear journey as it attained criticality. First criticality in a fast breeder reactor is the moment when the nuclear chain reaction becomes self-sustaining. A breeder reactor is a nuclear reactor that produces more fissile material than it consumes. In a 'fast' breeder reactor, the neutrons aren't slowed, allowing them to trigger specific fission reactions. Is India finally entering stage II of its nuclear programme? | Explained The PFBR is a machi ...Read More >