[1] The 1st twin unit would come up within the BHAVINI premises at Madras Atomic Power Station at Kalpakkam, close to the PFBR site itself.
This arrangement would facilitate cost-rationalisation, using common auxiliaries to serve both reactors.
[1] Core loading of PFBR began on 4 March 2024 in the presence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and will become operational by end of 2025.
[2][3] According to the research conducted at IGCAR, the improved design concepts indicated significant economic advantages by reducing material inventory by 25%, simplifying fuel handling scheme and by reducing manufacture time with enhanced safety parameters.
Passive safety features include new hydraulically suspended absorber rods (HSAR) which fall into the core under the influence of gravity if coolant flow is lost, and the inclusion of an ultimate shutdown system (USD) which would use pressurized gas to forcefully inject neutron poisons directly into the core to halt re-criticality incidents.