Latest news with #RajeshV
Time of India
29-07-2025
- Business
- Time of India
BARC, NPCIL unveil India's first private test facility for depleted heavy water upgradation
New Delhi: State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) and the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) have jointly inaugurated India's first private sector test facility for the upgradation of depleted heavy water commissioned by TEMA India, a manufacturer of specialised equipment. The facility was inaugurated by Rajesh V, director – technical, NPCIL, and K T Shenoy, director, Chemical Engineering Group, BARC. According to the official press release, the modules manufactured by the company are slated for delivery to critical nuclear power plant projects such as RAPP 8, GHAVP Units 1–4, and KAIGA Units 5 & 6. 'BARC has transferred the indigenous technology to TEMA to build the vacuum distillation columns for upgradation of depleted heavy water at its private test facility,' it added. The new testing facility will help overcome the challenge of delayed deliveries by decentralising the nuclear supply chain, ensuring quality control, and reliability in components supplied to Indian nuclear utilities to accelerate the delivery and commissioning timelines of Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWRs). The technology transfer to TEMA India is a step towards narrowing the key infrastructure gap, overcoming the delayed deliveries and de-bottlenecking of nuclear facilities. As India prepares for the big leap to leverage the indigenous PHWRs as a part of the three stage programme to reach 100 GW of installed nuclear capacity by 2047, the demand of distillation columns for depleted heavy water upgradation will increase, added the release. India is a major producer and global exporter of heavy water primarily used as coolant in nuclear reactors. Nuclear reactors are filled with heavy water at the time of construction and refueling. During the operation of nuclear reactors, it is critical to upgrade the depleted heavy water to maintain the content of Deuterium to ensure consistent and efficient supply to the nuclear reactors. The process of producing reactor-grade heavy water involves ultra-high efficiency vacuum distillation columns that are specifically designed to handle the unique challenges of separating deuterium from other isotopes in water to support the nuclear reactors through their entire lifecycle of 60-70 years. The BARC has been instrumental in developing the indigenous technology for these vacuum distillation columns, including the design of efficient structured packings and has continued to supply to NPCIL across all the PHWRs installed in India.
New Indian Express
15-05-2025
- General
- New Indian Express
T'Puram zoo plots return of giraffes, zebras after 11-year gap
THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: After more than a decade, giraffes and zebras may finally make their way to Kerala this year. And leading the charge is the Thiruvananthapuram zoo. Having completed a series of animal exchanges with zoos across the country, the Thiruvananthapuram zoo has now set its sights on these two crowdpullers. The last giraffe at the zoo passed away in 2012 and its lone zebra companion followed two years later in 2014. Since then, the enclosures have remained empty. Now, officials say they are actively exploring possibilities within the country's zoo network, and if needed, will look to international collaborations. 'We are trying our best to source them from Indian zoos first. If that does not work out, we are also trying for international purchase,' Thiruvananthapuram zoo superintendent Rajesh V told TNIE. If the animals are unavailable through regular surplus lists, the bloodline category will be explored, he said. 'That means looking for zoos that may be open to parting with a genetically important animal in exchange for one of ours that strengthens their breeding line. More complex, but often that's the only way to acquire rare species like giraffes and zebras,' Rajesh said. In its latest exchange, last November, the zoo sent a pair each of gharials and porcupines, two pairs of rheas, a male hyena, and three pairs of sun conure to the Shivamogga zoo in Karnataka. In return, Thiruvananthapuram received a pair of marsh crocodiles, three female hyenas, a pair of jackals, and a pair of palm civets.
