India’s 500 MWe Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor at Kalpakkam, about 80 km south of Chennai, reached first criticality at 8.25 pm on 6 April 2026, the Department of Atomic Energy announced. World Nuclear News reported that construction had begun in 2004 with completion first expected in 2010. The reactor was designed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) and built by BHAVINI, a government company under the DAE.
IGCAR, founded in 1971, is the DAE’s second largest establishment after BARC. Kalpakkam also hosts the twin Madras Atomic Power Station units. Here is how the pieces fit together, and how students can visit.
Three plants, three jobs
| Facility | What it is | Key fact |
|---|---|---|
| FBTR | Fast Breeder Test Reactor, IGCAR | First criticality 18 October 1985; 40 MW thermal, 13.2 MW electrical |
| KAMINI | Research reactor, IGCAR | Runs on uranium-233; designed for 30 kW |
| PFBR | Prototype breeder, BHAVINI | 500 MWe; first criticality 6 April 2026 |
| MAPS-1 and MAPS-2 | Pressurised heavy water reactors, NPCIL | 220 MWe each; commercial operation 1984 and 1986 |
The centre began as the Reactor Research Centre and was renamed IGCAR in December 1985, according to the AERB’s Silver Jubilee history. The same account says the FBTR first went critical on 18 October 1985. IGCAR’s home page marked the reactor’s 40th year on 18 October 2025, and in July 2025 reported that the FBTR was running at its rated 40 MWt with its turbine synchronised to the grid during its 34th irradiation campaign.
What a fast breeder does
The PFBR burns uranium-plutonium mixed oxide fuel surrounded by a blanket of uranium-238, which turns into fresh plutonium-239 as the reactor runs. It is also designed to hold thorium-232 in the blanket, which becomes uranium-233. That makes it the second stage of India’s three-stage nuclear programme, using plutonium recovered from first-stage heavy water reactors and paving the way for a thorium cycle.
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board approved fuel loading and low-power physics tests in mid-2024 before clearing criticality. All India Radio reported that over 200 Indian industries, including MSMEs, contributed equipment, and that India will be only the second country after Russia to run a commercial fast breeder once the plant is fully operational. Full power and grid connection come after a staged power-raising programme, so watch for DAE announcements rather than assuming a date.
IGCAR’s own work is wider than reactors. Its facilities page lists sodium technology, metallurgy and materials science, fuel reprocessing, reactor safety, an accelerator, a simulator and weather radars. KAMINI is used for neutron radiography and for irradiating samples, including forensic samples.
MAPS today
The NPCIL performance table for April to August 2026 shows MAPS Unit 2 generating 772 million units at a 96% capacity factor. Unit 1 recorded no generation in that period and is listed as shut down in project mode for ageing management and refurbishment. NPCIL has not published a restart date.
How schools and colleges can visit
IGCAR runs guided visits for groups of up to 50 students and two faculty members, Indian nationals only, once per institution per academic year.
- Colleges: pre-final or final-year undergraduates, or first- and second-year postgraduates in engineering or science, visit on Fridays.
- Schools: classes 9 to 12, science stream, above 14, on Tuesdays. The site notes that school visits were opened for 2024 to August 2025 for the DAE’s 70th year, so check whether they still run.
- Download the request form, have the head of institution sign and seal it, and email it to dirsec@igcar.gov.in. After confirmation, send student details and an undertaking to shure@igcar.gov.in within 3 to 4 days.
- Report at the DAE complex main gate by 9.30 am. Phones, cameras, laptops, smartwatches and USB drives are not allowed. IGCAR does not provide transport.
Postgraduate students can also apply for semester-long project work of three to eight months; short internships are not allowed. Police verification is required for most applicants.
A long road to criticality
The AERB history records the PFBR’s early milestones: site clearance in October 2000 and permission for the first concrete pour of the reactor building raft on 15 December 2004. Eleven days later, the Indian Ocean tsunami of 26 December 2004 stopped work, and raft construction restarted on 25 April 2005. In August 2025, Minister of State Jitendra Singh told Parliament that the later delays were mainly due to first-of-a-kind technological issues during commissioning, World Nuclear News reported.
The same report puts India’s nuclear fleet at about 7,900 MW from 24 operable reactors, with a target of around 100 GW by 2047. IGCAR also runs a 2 MIGD seawater desalination plant at Kalpakkam that marked ten years in December 2025, and will host a DAE-BRNS conference on water chemistry and corrosion from 16 to 19 December 2026 at Anupuram.
Quick answers
How far is Kalpakkam from Chennai?
About 80 km south of the city, on the coast.
Is the PFBR producing power yet?
It reached first criticality on 6 April 2026. Power raising and grid synchronisation follow in stages under AERB oversight.
Can individuals tour IGCAR?
No. Visits are only for institutional student groups booked in advance.
Who runs MAPS?
NPCIL. IGCAR handles research, and BHAVINI runs the PFBR.
Information checked against official sources on 18 October 2026. Fees, dates and rules can change; confirm on the linked official pages before acting.
Sources
- Projects, facilities and visits (Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research)
- IGCAR home page and news (IGCAR)
- First criticality for Indian fast breeder reactor (World Nuclear News)
- India marks major nuclear milestone with PFBR (All India Radio News)
- AERB Silver Jubilee book, chapter 6 (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board)
- Operating performance of nuclear power stations (NPCIL)
- IGCAR institution profile (UNESCO-IOC OceanExpert)
