Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research
- Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research [IGCAR], the second largest establishment of the Department of Atomic Energy next to Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.
- It was set up at Kalpakkam, 80 KMs south of Chennai [MADRAS], in 1971.
- The main objective is conducting broad based multidisciplinary programme of scientific research and advanced Engineering, directed towards the development of sodium cooled Fast Breeder Reactor [FBR] technology, in India.
- This is part of the second stage of Indian Atomic Energy Programme, which is aimed at preparing the country for utilization of the extensive Thorium reserves and providing means to meet the large demands of electrical energy in 21st century.
- In meeting the objectives, a modest beginning was made by constructing a sodium cooled Fast Breeder Test Reactor [FBTR], with a nominal power of 40 MWt, based on the French Reactor, RAPSODIE.
- The reactor attained its first criticality on 18th Oct, 1985 and has been in operation at its maximum attainable power level of 10.5 MWt with a small core.
- It is the first of its kind in the world to use Plutonium Uranium mixed carbide as a driver fuel.
- With the experience and expertise gained by the successful operation of FBTR, the Centre has embarked upon the design and construction of 500 MWe, Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor [PFBR].
- The PFBR is under advanced stage of construction and commissioning by BHAVINI.Mission
Recent Milestones
- 2022 – FBTR attains the design power level of 40 MWt on 7/03/2022
- 2021 – Gamma radiation detector designed and built using single crystals of Cd0.9Zn0.1Te (CZT) grown in-house. With this sensor, the photo peaks of Ba-133 and Am-241 were successfully resolved.
- 2019 – Development of SQUID based TDEM system for geophysical applications
- 2017 – Vertical Graphene Nanosheets grown on Ni substrates were chemically etched and transferred onto polymer substrates to fabricate flexible super capacitor device
Research reactors
There are three research reactors at IGCAR.
- FBTR is a liquid metal cooled fast breeder test reactor, maintained by Reactor Operation and Maintenance Group (ROMG).
- KAMINI 30 kWt reactor, starred in 1996, uses Uranium 233 fuel transformed from Thorium in the FBTR.
- Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor, a 500MWe fast breeder reactor using Mixed Oxide (Uranium oxide + Plutonium oxide) fuel based on the Sodium-cooled fast reactor design.
- In addition, the Research Facility also built the 100MWe reactor for India’s first nuclear submarine the Arihant class submarine project and operated it on land for testing purposes since it attained criticality in December 2004.