New Delhi, April 6 Union Home Minister Amit Shah congratulated scientists on Monday for successfully building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, as it achieved criticality, a development he described as a "new era" in India's civil nuclear program.
India's 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, has achieved its first criticality, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced on Monday.
The 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, "A new era in our civil nuclear program."
"Congratulations to our scientists and engineers for your remarkable achievement in building the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam," he said.
Calling it a "giant step" towards global dominance in power production, Shah said this facility will play a critical role in unlocking the power hidden in India's vast thorium reserves and in realizing Prime Minister Modi's vision of making India the world's powerhouse.
The loading of fuel at the Kalpakkam PFBR began in October last year.
