---
title: "Advanced Heavy Water Reactor (AHWR) — Definition & Meaning"
description: "The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor is India's 300 MWe thorium-uranium reactor, crucial for demonstrating large-scale thorium use in nuclear power."
url: "https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/glossary/advanced-heavy-water-reactor"
---

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Model Diplomat Research Team · Last reviewed June 22, 2026

TL;DR

- The Advanced Heavy Water Reactor is an Indian-designed 300 MWe thorium-uranium-233 reactor developed to demonstrate large-scale thorium utilisation in the third stage of India's nuclear power programme.
- Why is the AHWR central to India's three-stage nuclear programme?
- How does the AHWR differ from India's existing PHWRs?
- What is the AHWR300-LEU variant?
- Why has the AHWR not yet been built?

[Civil Service & Diplomatic Exams](https://modeldiplomat.com/learn/civil-services/glossary)Updated June 22, 2026

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In its annual reports through the mid-2010s, India's Department of Atomic Energy stated that the BARC-designed 300 MWe AHWR was design-complete and awaiting government site clearance for construction.

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