Vadodara: A Micro, Small and Medium Enterprise (MSME) from Vadodara has achieved a significant milestone by manufacturing critical equipment used in nuclear energy production.

Until now, India used to import fuel transfer machines, spent fuel transportation containers, and storage racks required for safely handling and storing used nuclear fuel rods. With this development, these vital components will now be produced locally, giving a strong boost to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Make in India and Aatmanirbhar Bharat initiatives. Notably, this Vadodara-based unit has become the world’s first facility where all three types of equipment are being manufactured at one place.

In nuclear power plants, uranium fuel rods are used to generate heat through nuclear fission, which in turn produces steam to run turbines and generate electricity. Once their lifecycle ends, these fuel rods still contain high radiation and heat. They are initially stored underwater inside the plant for several years before being shifted to Away From Reactor (AFR) storage facilities, where they are kept safely in large fuel ponds until radiation levels reduce as per global safety standards. Due to the extremely hazardous nature of these rods, specialised automated machines and certified storage systems are essential, which were earlier imported.

Responding to the requirement of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Vadodara’s Vividh Hi-Fab MSME unit undertook three years of intensive research and successfully developed Spent Fuel Storage Racks (SFSR) using borated stainless steel capable of controlling neutron emission. These racks have successfully cleared multi-stage testing by various central government agencies and will now be dispatched to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. The unit will also soon complete the indigenous manufacturing of the remaining fuel transfer machines and transportation containers.

This achievement is being seen as a matter of pride for Vadodara’s industrial sector and an important step towards strengthening India’s self-reliance in nuclear technology. DeshGujarat