PFBR’s criticality milestone at Kalpakkam makes India a firm contender in the global nuclear race
The Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor located in Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam attained criticality. The reactor is now only a step away from being fully operational.
New Delhi: India’s nuclear programme achieved a critical milestone on 6 April after its most advanced nuclear reactor, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor located in Tamil Nadu’s Kalpakkam, attained criticality. The reactor is now only a step away from being fully operational.
India’s Fast Breeder Reactor: Advancing A Closed Nuclear Fuel Cycle For Long-Term Energy Security
India has taken a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of Homi Bhabha’s Three-Stage Nuclear Power Programme. The indigenously designed and built Kalpakkam Fast Breeder Reactor has attained criticality, marking a pivotal milestone in both technological capability and long-term energy economics.
The Nuclear Revival: 75 Reactors Currently Being Built
The world is quietly undergoing a fundamental shift in how it generates baseload power. After years of stagnation in the West, the nuclear energy sector is experiencing a massive revival, driven by the dual mandates of decarbonizing power grids and feeding the insatiable electricity demands of electric vehicles and AI data centers. The momentum reached a critical tipping point in March 2026, when China and Brazil officially joined the international pledge to triple global nuclear energy capacity by 2050, bringing the coalition of supportive nations to 38.
Restart of Indian Point Nuclear Plant? ‘Yes,’ Says Holtec Official
A 2-GW nuclear power plant in New York State that was shut down in 2021 could be restarted, an official with Holtec International said. The Indian Point station, which sits near the Hudson River in Buchanan, New York, is the latest among a handful of shuttered U.S. nuclear power facilities being considered for reopening as the U.S. government ramps up its support for nuclear energy to help increase the nation’s power supply.
Lawler, Energy Secretary Chris Wright Visit Indian Point, Call for Rebuilding And Reopening of Nuclear Facilities
Standing at the former power plant site that once supplied roughly a quarter of the region’s electricity, the closure of Indian Point and the blocking of critical energy infrastructure have contributed to higher electricity costs and increased strain on New York’s electric grid.
- US approves construction of Bill Gates-backed nuclear reactor in Wyoming
- Pritzker seeks to bring more nuclear power to Illinois
- Inside TerraPower’s World-First Nuclear Project Being Built Just Outside Kemmerer
- DOE’s Office of Nuclear Energy Awards $19 Million to Advance Recycling of Used Nuclear Fuel
- Exclusive: Bezos fund backs nuclear initiative with $3.5M grant
- Davos underscored how leaders are navigating global energy crossroads
- Why Billions for Uranium Enrichment Still Won’t Deliver Nuclear Fuel
- Energy Department loans $1B to help finance the restart of nuclear reactor on Three Mile Island
- Six Ways Nuclear Science and Technology Help Protect the Environment
- DOE fast-tracks four nuclear fuel projects