India’s space agency to fund nuclear fuel production

The Indian Space Research Organisation, better known for launching rockets into space, is taking on a new role.

It will fund a US$5 million facility to produce niobium, a key material with critical applications in the nuclear power industry. The facility will be run by the Nuclear Fuel Complex (NFC), the main supplier of fuel for India's nuclear power programme. It will be capable of producing a minimum of 3 tonnes of niobium a year.

The alloy of niobium and zirconium is used to fabricate coolant channels in nuclear power reactors. These coolant channels in the core of the pressurised heavy water reactor house the nuclear fuel rods that generate power from nuclear fission. NFC has developed the technology to make both niobium and zirconium.

Located at Hyderabad, NFC is a unique facility where natural and enriched uranium fuel, zirconium alloy cladding and reactor core components are manufactured under one roof.