India's Kalpakkam Reactor Just Crossed a Historic Milestone

Added: 2026-05-27

[00:00:02]How are you? I'm good, sir. How are you doing? I hope you're doing great. What is the significance of India's nuclear reactor attaining criticality?

[00:00:09]And its role in energy security and defense in the current geopolitical context.

[00:00:14]So, I explained this. Maybe I can explain it all over again if you feel like it. And I shall refer to my own tweet to explain what the deal is because I have put everything succinctly in one place in that tweet.

[00:00:26]What is the significance of of of India's reactor, one reactor, attaining criticality?

[00:00:34]Let me give you a a brief um overview of what's happened.

[00:00:43]Okay? Uh so, here we have my tweet and check out check out my tweet.

[00:00:47]So, the the Prime Minister of India tweeted that today India has taken a defining step in its civil nuclear journey advancing the second stage of the nuclear program. The indigenously designed and built prototype fast breeder reactor at Kalpakkam has attained criticality and so on.

[00:01:03]So, I have said that this is a landmark moment. India has now officially begun its transition, its entry into stage two of Dr. Homi J. Bhabha's three-stage nuclear program.

[00:01:13]Okay?

[00:01:14]So, our phase two is now mature and complete. It is still operation of of phase one phase one. Our phase one is now mature. It is complete. It is still operating.

[00:01:24]And this new reactor is our first stage two reactor, first ever stage two reactor.

[00:01:30]We are now officially beginning the initial stage of phase two.

[00:01:36]Okay?

[00:01:37]And we have a long long way to go because stage two reactors are going to breed additional fuel. Stage two reactors produce more fuel than they burn.

[00:01:51]And that fuel that we seek is uranium 233.

[00:01:58]Okay?

[00:02:00]So, uranium 233 is going to be used in the stage three along with thorium.

[00:02:04]Without uranium 233, stage three doesn't happen.

[00:02:07]So, that's why we need stage two reactors to breed large quantities of uranium 233.

[00:02:12]So, right now we are entering stage two.

[00:02:16]It's our first reactor in stage two.

[00:02:18]We're going to see how it performs.

[00:02:20]Right now, it's only generating heat.

[00:02:24]It's only generating electricity.

[00:02:27]Then we're going to put a thorium blanket on this stage two reactor.

[00:02:31]And we're going to see how at what rate does it start breeding uranium 233.

[00:02:36]We're going to have to test it, observe it, do various experiments with it, and find out what is the optimal, you know, configuration of the blanket, and what is the highest speed or rate at which it's able to breed uranium 233.

[00:02:51]Then after a couple of years, two three years, we will have some understanding of how what is the best way to operate this reactor.

[00:02:58]Then we'll build one more.

[00:03:00]And then we'll see how that works.

[00:03:02]So, then we have two working reactors after, let's say, uh 10 years from today.

[00:03:07]Then we build five more.

[00:03:10]That takes another 10 years. So, 20 years from now, let's say we have seven of these pressurized fast breeder reactors, ideally, hopefully.

[00:03:18]Then in 30 years, we may have 20 if we don't become lazy.

[00:03:25]Then in 50 years, we may have enough uranium 233 to start stage to start stage three.

[00:03:30]And it's in stage three that we have to again start testing with one prototype reactor.

[00:03:37]Test it. How does it work?

[00:03:39]And in stage three, we use uranium 233 and thorium. We have the world's largest thorium reserves. But to use those reserves, we have to enter stage three, which may be 40 50 years down the line.

[00:03:53]At least 30 years down the line.