India develops Incoloy-nickel tubes for nuclear reactor’s steam generators

For the first time, India has developed Incoloy-nickel tubes required for making steam generators used in nuclear power reactors, at the Hyderabad-based Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC). 'With this development of indigenous designing and manufacturing of tubes for steam generators, India has achieved complete indigenisation of making steam generators. This will save Rs 150-200 crore for every two 700 MW of Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs),' pti reported quoting Chief Executive, (NFC) R N Jayaraj as saying in Mumbai. The tubes will be sent to Larsen and Toubro (L&T) which will use it for completing the manufacture of totally indigenous steam generators, Jayaraj said. India was earlier importing complete steam generators (SG). Later, only the tubes were imported by L&T, he said. Since India is proposing a total of 16 units of 700 MW PHWR in the country, NFC has signed a MOU with L&T recently for manufacturing of Incoloy-nickel tubes, he said, adding it was a major breakthrough for the Indian industry. The construction of four units of 700 MW PHWR has already begun, two each in Rajasthan and Kakrapar Atomic Power stations. NFC is also going to have one more fuel complex at Kota, Rajasthan for which pre-project activities have already begun. 'We are waiting for the Cabinet approval and clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests,' Jayraj said. The fuel requirement for four units of 700 MW PWHR will be around 500 tonnes and with 12 more units projected by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL), 'we will have to fabricate another 1500 tonnes of fuel,' he said.