India: AHWR300-LEU [Implementation of Proliferation Resistance and Physical Protection Measures in Innovative Small and Medium Sized Reactors]

The AHWR300-LEU was designed and developed by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre to achieve large scale use of thorium for the generation of commercial nuclear power. This reactor is designed to produce most of its power from thorium, with no external input of 233U in the equilibrium cycle. Use of thorium based fuels in general, and LEU–thorium based fuel in the AHWR300-LEU as an example, offers a high degree of intrinsic proliferation resistance, along with enhanced fuel resource sustainability and high levels of intrinsic safety and security. Along with the thoria matrix, higher levels of 235U enrichment will offer greater all round benefits. Intrinsic approaches to enhance proliferation resistance would depend, to a large extent, on the permissible limits on fuel isotopic vectors. There is perhaps a need to conduct new scientific evaluations and define these limits consistently with some realistic objectives concerning proliferation barriers