I am profoundly honored to address you today as Chairman & Chief Executive of Heavy Water Board and share our collective vision for the future of Heavy Water production in our great nation. I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to lead this esteemed organization and work alongside our dedicated team of professionals.

I take this opportunity to salute the pioneers & earlier visionary leaders of Heavy Water Board who have contributed to the Heavy Water Program & built a very successful organization, which has been not only meeting the in-house requirement of Heavy Water but also meeting the demands of the world thereby fulfilling the vision of Dr. Homi Jenhangir Bhabha.  Their dedication, hard work and innovative spirit have played crucial role in establishing India’s expertise in Heavy Water production and its various non-nuclear applications leaving a lasting legacy that continues to benefit Heavy Water Board.

Heavy Water Board has come a long way since commissioning the first Heavy Water Plant in 1956 & today it is the leading producer of Heavy Water in the World.  I started my journey at Heavy Water Plant, Manuguru during its commissioning phase, when there was dire need for Heavy Water in India.  It was a beautiful & self-satisfying journey from the stage of Heavy Water at any cost to the stage of Heavy Water at least cost.  I learnt a great deal from my superiors as well as from my sub-ordinates  & team work shaped Manuguru into flagship of Heavy Water Board.  The lessons learnt at Kota during the initial phase of its operation has helped Manuguru a lot in overcoming them during its design stage itself thereby improving the Deuterium recovery, throughput & stream factor.  With the operating experience over the years, lot of MOCs have been carried out both for the conservation of resources & energy at all Heavy Water Plants.  Internal Energy Audits were carried out & many ENCON schemes were implemented and there is a phenomenal reduction in the specific energy consumption for Heavy Water production.  This is all happened because of the untiring efforts of ‘team HWB’.   My two-year stint at HWP, Thal has helped me learn great deal about Ammonia-Hydrogen based technology for Heavy Water Production.  The immediate challenge for us is the re-start up of Heavy Water Plant, Tuticorin.  As you are aware, demand for Heavy Water is on raising trend world over and Tuticorin restart up would be an important mile stone for all of us. I am sure that with our best efforts, we will be able to re-start the unit within the time frame given by the department. 

DAE has broadened the mandate of Heavy Water Board from Heavy Water production to specialty materials.  Our vast industrial experience, rich experience in project management & innovative approach has paid rich dividends in large scale production of nuclear solvents for both front end & back end of NPP, Boron Carbide pellets & Sodium Metal for Fast Reactor Program.  Recently, the Solvents Production Plant (SPP) at Tuticorin has been commissioned making the country self-sufficient in Industrial grade solvents.

As you are aware, it is a proud moment for Heavy Water Board that H₂O₁₈ product from the pilot scale plant at Manuguru has met the international standards & now, it is the right time we should gear up for setting up the industrial scale plant making the country “Atma Nirbhar” as far as H₂O₁₈ water is concerned.

Heavy Water Board has also undertaken various new developmental activities like, extraction of Cobalt, Nickel & Molybdenum from scrap, Gallium recovery from Bayer’s liquor & recovery of Helium from fertilizer unit purge gas stream etc.  These activities are at various levels of execution & I am sure that these activities would also be completed within the time frame with flying colors given the competence of our human resources.

‘Safety First’ is our motto since the beginning.  The excellent safety statistics showcase the performance of our Heavy Water Plants vis-a-vis other similar size hazardous Chemical Process industries (CPIs).  At Heavy Water Plants, we prioritize safety through a combination of rigorous regulations of AERB, advanced engineering, well defined SOPs, comprehensive training, emergency preparedness and a commitment to fostering safety culture.  However, residual life assessment and ageing management are major thrust areas as our plants are ageing & require special attention.  Other top focus area is the development of skilled human resources owing to the bulk superannuation in the current & subsequent years.

Heavy Water Board plays a crucial role in advancing science, technology and industry through the production of Heavy Water, a vital resource with far reaching applications. Our commitment to excellence, innovation & safety has enabled us to contribute significantly to various sectors, including nuclear power, medical research & industrial processes.

As we navigate the challenges & opportunities that lie ahead, I would like to reaffirm our commitment and dedication to the principles that have guided us throughout our journey.  These principles include highest standards of quality & safety, continuously seeking ways to enhance the efficiency and sustainability of our operations.

Let us move forward with determination, dedication, innovation and a shared sense of purpose.  Together, we will not only meet the challenges of today but also forge a path towards a brighter and more sustainable future.  I am sure, with your committed support, HWB will scale new heights in near future.

S. Satyakumar

Chairman & Chief Executive

Heavy Water Board