We estimate the amount of nuclear waste generated by different steps in the fuel cycle followed in the Indian nuclear programme, based on standard methodologies and public sources of information. The basic input in the case of power reactors is the amount of electricity they have produced. For research reactors, the inputs are their rated capacities and an average capacity factor. While our waste estimates are based on assumptions and the limited amount of public data available,  it would be easy to modify the estimates, should new information become available.

NUCLEAR waste has been a contentious aspect of nuclear power programmes around the world. The Nuclear Energy Agency, Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), observes: ‘One of the key issues that has dominated the nuclear debate in recent years has been the safe management of radioactive wastes . . . radioactive wastes have caused more public concern than any other type of waste’.  In India too apprehensions have been expressed about this segment of the nuclear programme. Any examination of this subject however, must begin with the actual amount of nuclear waste produced. Since this figure does not seem to be available publicly, in this paper we estimate the amount of nuclear waste produced by the Indian nuclear programme. The basic data that we use to perform this estimate are the amounts of electricity produced by the various power reactors, and the nominal power rating and an assumed capacity factor for the research reactors,  CIRUS  and Dhruva. Using standard figures and methodologies, we estimate waste production from different steps in the nuclear fuel cycle.

The nuclear fuel cycle in India begins with the mining and milling of uranium and the processing of the mined uranium into U3O8. This is followed by fuel fabrication and use in research and power reactors. The resulting spent fuel is then reprocessed to recover uranium and plutonium. At each stage of this cycle, different kinds of nuclear waste are produced. The management of nuclear waste depends upon its radioactive and other physical and chemical properties. In order to evolve guidelines for such management, it is customary to classify nuclear waste into different categories. India classifies its wastes into Low-Level Waste (LLW), Intermediate-Level Waste (ILW) and High-Level Waste (HLW). The category, potentially active waste (PAW) is also used (Table 1).

In some cases, these individual categories are further divided according to radioactivity levels for operational purposes. For example, low-level solid waste is placed in four categories (Category I–IV) based on the surface beta and gamma dose and alpha activity (Table 2). 

To calculate the amount of waste produced, we start with an estimate of the amount of fuel irradiated. The primary sources of irradiated fuel are the ten power reactors (two Boiling Water Reactors (BWR) at Tarapur and eight Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR); we do not include the four PHWRs that have recently been commissioned) and the two research reactors, CIRUS and Dhruva. We estimate the amount of fuel irradiated based on figures published by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, for the amount of electricity generated in the case of power reactors. Since CIRUS and Dhruva do not produce any electricity, we assume a capacity factor of 60% to make our estimates. There are other smaller research reactors, in particular the Fast Breeder Test Reactor (FBTR), but we will neglect their contribution. This is because these are relatively low in power and so do not produce too much waste and because there is no adequate basis (such as electricity generated) to calculate the amount of waste generated. In the case of the FBTR, electricity production would not be a good indicator of the amount of waste generated, since as a test reactor it was used to experiment with different kinds of fuel and so on.