Focus: Facts for Prelims
Why in News?
The Government is going to set up north India’s first nuclear plant in Haryana.
About Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plants:
- The Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plants are located in Gorakhpur village of Fatehabad district in Haryana, about 150 km north of the national capital.
- The facility will have two units, each with a capacity of 700 MWe, of the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) indigenous design.
Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) Technology:
- A PHWR is a type of nuclear power reactor that uses unenriched natural uranium as fuel and heavy water (deuterium oxide D2O) as both coolant and moderator.
- Heavy water coolant is pressurized, allowing it to be heated to higher temperatures without boiling, similar to a typical pressurized water reactor.
- Although heavy water is more expensive than regular water, it yields a significantly enhanced neutron economy, allowing the reactor to operate without fuel enrichment facilities, mitigating the additional capital cost of the heavy water.
- The PHWR technology generally enhances the reactor’s ability to efficiently make use of alternate fuel cycles.
