India advances nuclear strategy with thorium fuel conversion at Kalpakkam reactor

India has commissioned the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR) at Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu, entering the second phase of its three-stage nuclear programme designed to convert abundant thorium into usable fuel. The facility addresses India's uranium limitations by enabling thorium-based nuclear energy generation, a crucial step toward long-term energy security for a nation with the world's third-largest thorium reserves. The development matters globally as it demonstrates an alternative pathway to nuclear fuel independence and reduced reliance on uranium imports—a model potentially relevant for other nations with significant thorium deposits. India's nuclear programme aims to eventually transition to thorium-based reactors in its third phase, which would extend the country's nuclear fuel reserves by decades.