MTAR Tech develops first indigenous grid plate

Hyderabad-based MTAR Technologies Private Limited, which has a long association with the country's space and defence programmes, has reached another technological milestone by developing the first indigenous grid plate.

The grid plate is required in building Fast Breeder Nuclear Reactor (FBR).

The development purchase order for the grid plate, which is designed for a prototype 500 MWe sodium cooled FBR, was placed by the Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR) in May 2001. The order was worth over Rs 7 crore.

The company has also received an order for the fabrication of a grid plate for the 540 mw Fast Breeder nuclear reactor to be built at Kalpakkam in Tamil Nadu worth over Rs 31 crore.

While the weight of the grid plate for technology development is 25 tonnes, the piece that is supposed to be fabricated for BKalpakkam plant will weigh 80 tonnes.

According to S K Jain, chairman and managing director of the Nuclear Power Corporation, over Rs 70 crore worth equipment meant for nuclear power reactors is being fabricated in the facilities of MTAR at Hyderabad.

Fabrication of another Rs 80 crore worth equipment would be entrusted to the company. It may be noted that for the Fast Breeder Test Reactor which was built in 1976, the grid plate was the only component that was made in France, due to the critical technology involved in its manufacture.

According to company officials, MTAR has specially constructed a large workshop and also established the requisite facilities including a large-sized heat treatment furnace and a nuclear clean hall among others.

The OMPLAS of Chennai was associated for hard facing technology required for the job.