Vision 2020 involves setting up of additional nuclear power plants, with five fast-breeder reactors generating 2,500mw, heavy-water reactors generating 10,000mw and about 8,000mw will be generated by light-water reactors, said P Rodriguez, director, Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam.

Rodrigues said that the fast-breeder reactors will be co-locational with the heavy-water reactors, while fuel-reprocessing and fabrication plants would be co-locational, to avoid transportation of irradiated material across the country. India's heavy-water reactors are located at Kota, Narora, Kakrapar, Kaiga and Tarapur.

At present, the IGCAR is developing the prototype for a 500mw fast-breeder reactor, which will go on stream by 2008. Construction will begin in 2002.

Thereactor design has been changed so that instead of using four pumps each generating 125 MW, the new design envisages using two pumps. The project, evaluated in March 1996 to cost Rs. 2,900 crores, would eventually cost about Rs. 3,500 crores, factoring in inflation but based totally on Budgetary support. Rodriguez was confident that Budgetary support would be forthcoming, adding that should they have to borrow, interest costs would push up the cost of the project.

While unit cost of nuclear power production in 2008 is projected at Rs. 4.25, this is based on the premise of full budgetary support for the project. Should the Nuclear Power Corporation (NPC) build it with a 1: 1 equity ratio, cost of production per unit would rise to Rs. 5.25. Power rates are expected to be at this level by then, he added.

Rodriguez, who was in Pune to inaugurate the 3rd national conference on fluid mechanics and fluid power(FMFP). The two-day bi-ennial conference, held here recently, emphasised fundamental research andindustrial applications on fluid machinery.