Heavy Water Board
Encyclopedia
Heavy Water Board a constituent unit under Department of Atomic Energy in the Government of India
is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water
(D2O) which is used as a 'moderator' and 'Coolant' in nuclear power as well as research reactors.. India is now the largest manufacturer of heavy water in the world.
(BARC) in the 60s and was continued by the Heavy Water Division of BARC where a Pilot Plant was operated for studying the H2S-H20 exchange process. While these studies were in progress, the Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) commissioned the first Heavy Water Plant in India at Nangal
, Punjab,India
in the premises of National Fertilisers Limited
(NFL) in 1962. The plant had to be dismantled owing to national security considerations arising out of the disinvestment
of NFL. The plant used to be operated by NFL and the DAE ensured the quality of the product.
for the production of heavy water by employing Monothermal Ammonia
-Hydrogen
exchange process. The plant is located 8 km north from Baroda railway station along the national highway No. 8, adjacent to the Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GSFC). The plant was integrated with GSFC until 1999 when GSFC upgraded their Ammonia plant to an incompatible low pressure system resulting in temporary suspension in the operations of the Heavy Water Plant.
metal for preparing catalyst solution for all Monothermal Ammonia-Hydrogen exchange plants.The plant was expanded in 1987 to enhance the production capacity to 52 MT/year and has a capability to meet the demands of external customers also.This plant is based on Thermal reduction of Potassium Fluoride with Calcium Carbide initially developed by Hoechst A.G., Werk Griesheim, West Germany.An independent front end was added to produce Ammonia at this time. This plant was commissioned in 1975 with an initial rated capacity of 30 MT/year.The Plant was awarded ISO-9001 : 2000 on 06.08.2002.
city. Work on this plant commenced in August 1986 and the plant was commissioned in February 1991.
, Andhra Pradesh
is based on the Bithermal Hydrogen Sulphide-Water
(H2S-H20) Exchange Process. This plant with a capacity of 185 Metric Tonne per Year
is the second plant based on this process, the earlier one being at Kota
, Rajasthan for which the complete technology has been developed indigenously by BARC and HWB. The Manuguru site was chosen because of its proximity to Singareni coal fields
and Godavari river which provide respectively large quantities of coal and water required by the plant. It was commissioned in Dec. 1991.
employs the ammonia-hydrogen exchange process (Bithermal). The plant is located at a distance of 150 km from Bhubaneshwar. The work on this plant in October 1972 and it was commissioned in March 1985.Operation of the plant was suspended in August 1994 due to unsatisfactory operation of the fertilizer plant of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited., Talcher.. The plant operation was resumed later and an R&D pilot plant has been commissioned for the production of Di-2-ethyl hexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), an effective metal extractant, used for hydro-metallurgical recovery and the separation of various metals. The solvent
is useful for concentrating and purifying the valuable metal solutions of low-grade complex ores and is already being used by India's nuclear industry at various commercial operations for the separation and recovery of Zinc
, Cobalt
, Nickel
and Rare Earths.
Government of India
The Government of India, officially known as the Union Government, and also known as the Central Government, was established by the Constitution of India, and is the governing authority of the union of 28 states and seven union territories, collectively called the Republic of India...
is primarily responsible for production of Heavy Water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
(D2O) which is used as a 'moderator' and 'Coolant' in nuclear power as well as research reactors.. India is now the largest manufacturer of heavy water in the world.
History
The research in Heavy Water production was initiated by the Chemical Engineering division of Bhabha Atomic Research CentreBhabha Atomic Research Centre
The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre is India's primary nuclear research facility based in Mumbai. It has a number of nuclear reactors, all of which are used for India's nuclear power and research programme.- History :...
(BARC) in the 60s and was continued by the Heavy Water Division of BARC where a Pilot Plant was operated for studying the H2S-H20 exchange process. While these studies were in progress, the Department of Atomic Energy(DAE) commissioned the first Heavy Water Plant in India at Nangal
Nangal
Nangal is a town 60 km from Rupnagar in the state of Punjab in northwest India. It sits at the foot of the Shiwalik Hills and is surrounded by beautiful hills, the Satluj River and canals. It is an important center for tourists.- Description :...
, Punjab,India
Punjab (India)
Punjab ) is a state in the northwest of the Republic of India, forming part of the larger Punjab region. The state is bordered by the Indian states of Himachal Pradesh to the east, Haryana to the south and southeast and Rajasthan to the southwest as well as the Pakistani province of Punjab to the...
in the premises of National Fertilisers Limited
National Fertilisers Limited
National Fertilizers Limited is a major Indian producer of inorganic and organic fertilizers and industrial chemicals. Established in 1974, it operates 5 major plants across India.-History:...
(NFL) in 1962. The plant had to be dismantled owing to national security considerations arising out of the disinvestment
Disinvestment
Disinvestment, sometimes referred to as divestment, refers to the use of a concerted economic boycott, with specific emphasis on liquidating stock, to pressure a government, industry, or company towards a change in policy, or in the case of governments, even regime change...
of NFL. The plant used to be operated by NFL and the DAE ensured the quality of the product.
HWP Baroda
Heavy Water Plant at Baroda is the first plant set up in IndiaIndia
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
for the production of heavy water by employing Monothermal Ammonia
Ammonia
Ammonia is a compound of nitrogen and hydrogen with the formula . It is a colourless gas with a characteristic pungent odour. Ammonia contributes significantly to the nutritional needs of terrestrial organisms by serving as a precursor to food and fertilizers. Ammonia, either directly or...
-Hydrogen
Hydrogen
Hydrogen is the chemical element with atomic number 1. It is represented by the symbol H. With an average atomic weight of , hydrogen is the lightest and most abundant chemical element, constituting roughly 75% of the Universe's chemical elemental mass. Stars in the main sequence are mainly...
exchange process. The plant is located 8 km north from Baroda railway station along the national highway No. 8, adjacent to the Gujarat State Fertilizers & Chemicals Ltd. (GSFC). The plant was integrated with GSFC until 1999 when GSFC upgraded their Ammonia plant to an incompatible low pressure system resulting in temporary suspension in the operations of the Heavy Water Plant.
Potassium Metal Plant
This facility also has a Potassium metal plant for supply of PotassiumPotassium
Potassium is the chemical element with the symbol K and atomic number 19. Elemental potassium is a soft silvery-white alkali metal that oxidizes rapidly in air and is very reactive with water, generating sufficient heat to ignite the hydrogen emitted in the reaction.Potassium and sodium are...
metal for preparing catalyst solution for all Monothermal Ammonia-Hydrogen exchange plants.The plant was expanded in 1987 to enhance the production capacity to 52 MT/year and has a capability to meet the demands of external customers also.This plant is based on Thermal reduction of Potassium Fluoride with Calcium Carbide initially developed by Hoechst A.G., Werk Griesheim, West Germany.An independent front end was added to produce Ammonia at this time. This plant was commissioned in 1975 with an initial rated capacity of 30 MT/year.The Plant was awarded ISO-9001 : 2000 on 06.08.2002.
HWP Hazira
HWP (Hazira) is the second heavy water plant in the country based on the ammonia-hydrogen exchange process which has been set up without foreign collaboration. It employs the ammonia-hydrogen exchange monothermal process. The plant is located at a distance of about 16 km from SuratSurat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
city. Work on this plant commenced in August 1986 and the plant was commissioned in February 1991.
HWP Kota
Heavy Water Plant at Kota is indigenously built and is based on the Bithermal H20-H2S exchange process. The plant is located at a distance of 65 KM from Kota Railway Station, adjacent to Rajasthan Atomic Power Plant (RAPP). The Heavy Water Plant is integrated with RAPP for its supply of power and steam.An oil fired Steam Generation Plant is also added to ensure uninterrupted supply of steam during the shut down periods of RAPP.Water from the nearby Rana Pratap Sagar lake, purified of suspended and dissolved impurities forms the process feed with the D20.HWP Manuguru
The Heavy Water Plant at ManuguruManuguru
MANUGURU or MANUGUR is a census town and mandal in Khammam district in the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh. It comes under Mahaboobabad parliamentary constituency and Pinapaka Assembly constituency. Manuguru is an urban area, situated on the banks of Godavari River.-Demographics: India census,...
, Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh
Andhra Pradesh , is one of the 28 states of India, situated on the southeastern coast of India. It is India's fourth largest state by area and fifth largest by population. Its capital and largest city by population is Hyderabad.The total GDP of Andhra Pradesh is $100 billion and is ranked third...
is based on the Bithermal Hydrogen Sulphide-Water
Girdler sulfide process
The Girdler sulfide process, also known as the Geib–Spevack process, is an industrial production method for making heavy water , an important component of many nuclear reactors because it acts as a neutron moderator. It takes its name from Karl-Hermann Geib and Jerome S...
(H2S-H20) Exchange Process. This plant with a capacity of 185 Metric Tonne per Year
Year
A year is the orbital period of the Earth moving around the Sun. For an observer on Earth, this corresponds to the period it takes the Sun to complete one course throughout the zodiac along the ecliptic....
is the second plant based on this process, the earlier one being at Kota
Kota, Rajasthan
Kota , formerly known as Kotah, is a city in the northern Indian state of Rajasthan. It is located south of state capital, Jaipur. Situated on the banks of Chambal River, the city is the trade centre for an area in which millet, wheat, rice, pulses, coriander and oilseeds are grown; industries...
, Rajasthan for which the complete technology has been developed indigenously by BARC and HWB. The Manuguru site was chosen because of its proximity to Singareni coal fields
Singareni Collieries Company
The Singareni Collieries Company Limited or SCCL is a government-owned coal mining company in India. One of the public sector undertakings, the company is jointly owned by the Andhra Pradesh government and the Union Government . The Union Government's administration of the company is through the...
and Godavari river which provide respectively large quantities of coal and water required by the plant. It was commissioned in Dec. 1991.
HWP Talcher
Heavy Water Plant at TalcherTalcher
Talcher is one of the 4 sub-divisions of Anugul district in the Indian state of Orissa . Situated on the right bank of the river Brahmani, the capital of the erstwhile Talcher State is one of the fastest growing industrial and mining complexes of the country.-Geography:Talcher is located at...
employs the ammonia-hydrogen exchange process (Bithermal). The plant is located at a distance of 150 km from Bhubaneshwar. The work on this plant in October 1972 and it was commissioned in March 1985.Operation of the plant was suspended in August 1994 due to unsatisfactory operation of the fertilizer plant of the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited., Talcher.. The plant operation was resumed later and an R&D pilot plant has been commissioned for the production of Di-2-ethyl hexyl phosphoric acid (D2EHPA), an effective metal extractant, used for hydro-metallurgical recovery and the separation of various metals. The solvent
Solvent
A solvent is a liquid, solid, or gas that dissolves another solid, liquid, or gaseous solute, resulting in a solution that is soluble in a certain volume of solvent at a specified temperature...
is useful for concentrating and purifying the valuable metal solutions of low-grade complex ores and is already being used by India's nuclear industry at various commercial operations for the separation and recovery of Zinc
Zinc
Zinc , or spelter , is a metallic chemical element; it has the symbol Zn and atomic number 30. It is the first element in group 12 of the periodic table. Zinc is, in some respects, chemically similar to magnesium, because its ion is of similar size and its only common oxidation state is +2...
, Cobalt
Cobalt
Cobalt is a chemical element with symbol Co and atomic number 27. It is found naturally only in chemically combined form. The free element, produced by reductive smelting, is a hard, lustrous, silver-gray metal....
, Nickel
Nickel
Nickel is a chemical element with the chemical symbol Ni and atomic number 28. It is a silvery-white lustrous metal with a slight golden tinge. Nickel belongs to the transition metals and is hard and ductile...
and Rare Earths.