BARC recommissioned upgraded version of India’s oldest research reactor APSARA

BARC recommissioned upgraded version of India’s oldest research reactor 'APSARA': Details, Highlights, About

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), Trombay has recommissioned India’s oldest nuclear research reactor named ‘Apsara’.

APSARA nuclear research reactor was shut down permanently in 2009 for repair.

The upgraded version of this reactor has been named as ‘Apsara-upgraded’ (Apsara-U) and also has double capacity compared to its earlier version.

The ‘Apsara-upgraded’ (Apsara-U) is situated within India’s nuclear weapons facility at BARC’s Trombay campus in Maharashtra.

APSARA-Upgraded (APSARA-U)

The APSARA upgraded version (APSARA-U), like its previous, is indigenously made in India.

APSARA-U uses plate type dispersion fuel elements made of Low Enriched Uranium (LEU).

APSARA-U will help to increase indigenous production of radio-isotopes for medical application by about 50% mainly due to higher neutron flux.

APSARA-U will also be extensively used for research in nuclear physics, material science, and radiation shielding. The radioisotopes produced by it will be also used in the field of food preservation, agriculture, and other industries apart from medicine for diagnosis and therapy.

About Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)

Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) is India’s premier nuclear research facility based in Mumbai, Maharashtra.

BARC is a multi-disciplinary research center with extensive infrastructure for advanced research and development.

BARC R&D covers the entire spectrum of nuclear science, engineering and related areas. BARC’s core mandate is to sustain peaceful applications of nuclear energy, primarily for power generation.