Research reactors not eligible for nuclear insurance pool

It has been recently revealed that the India’s research reactors will not be covered under the newly setup nuclear insurance pool as they are owned by the union government.

“The Rs.1,500 crore ($234 million) India Nuclear Insurance Pool is mainly for power plants operated by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The reactors operated by research institutions do not come under the insurance pool,” BARC director Sekhar Basu said.

Further he added that, “The research reactors are very small and the research institutions are owned by the central government. Governments do not generally take out an insurance policy on its properties”.

BARC’s two operational test reactors are the 100 MW and a very low power Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR).
Basu said that, the things is applicable to BARC applies equally to the research reactors operated by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) at Kalpakkam.

According to Basu, the upcoming 500 MW prototype fast breeder reactor (PFBR) is expected to go on stream this year, would come under the insurance cover once it starts the nuclear fission process.