India plans to build new sodium plant

The foundation stone was laid at Baroda on 5 January by K N Vyas, chairman of India's Atomic Energy Commission and secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

The industrial plant is being built following the successful operation of a demonstration plant, and will ultimately have a production capacity of 600 tonnes of sodium per year, DAE said. As well as its use in fast breeder reactors, high purity sodium is also used in the manufacture of insecticides, synthetic detergent, dyes, vitamins and drugs.

Activities at Baroda are also being expanded to allow the industrial-scale manufacture of specially deuterated compounds which are presently being imported, DAE said, while a collaboration is planned with MS University, Baroda for development of deuterated drug compounds.

"With these programmes, HWP, Baroda will become a centre for yet another innovative technology's development and demonstration for Make in India for specialty materials," it said.