NEW DELHI, April 7 (Xinhua) -- India's Department of Atomic Energy on Tuesday announced that its most advanced indigenously designed nuclear reactor has reached criticality.
Criticality in a nuclear programme is the stage at which a nuclear reactor achieves a self-sustaining fission chain reaction, where neutron production equals or exceeds losses.
The reactor is located at Kalpakkam in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu and operated by state-run Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd.
"With the achievement of first criticality, India moves closer to realizing the full potential of its three-stage nuclear power programme. Fast breeder technology forms the vital bridge between the current fleet of pressurized heavy water reactors and the future deployment of thorium-based reactors, leveraging the country's abundant thorium resources for long-term clean energy generation," the department said in a statement.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has hailed the landmark achievement. In a social media post on Monday night, Modi said India took a defining step in its civil nuclear journey, advancing the second stage of its nuclear programme. ■