INDIA'S THREE-STAGE NUCLEAR PROGRAMME

Homi Bhabha envisioned India's nuclear power programme in

three stages to suit the country's low uranium resource profile
Natural
Uranium
10 GWe40 y
at 08 cap.tactor Th Stage 2
500 GWel00 y
PHWR LECTRICITY PU
FUELLED
at 08 cap.factor
Stage1 Depleted U FAST AETRICITY
Pu BREEDERS
Stage 2 Fueled by
Stage l Heavy water a mix of plutonium
reactors fuelled by natural Pu U-233 and natural uranium.
uranium produce plutonium With sufficient
stocks, thorium
is introduced to
Th convert it into U-233

Stage 3 500GWe 350 y

-233 at 08 cap.factor
FUELLED ELETRICITY
BREEDERS
Stage 3 Mix of
thorium and uranium
fuels the reactors
U-233 Thorium transmutes
to U-233 which
Tarapur Atomic Power Station
- PHOTO. VWKRESHNAN powers the reactor.