Friday, September 01, 2023

Kakrapar IPHWR-700 Nuclear Reactor Finally Starts Full-Fledged Operations

India's largest Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor [PHWR] recently commenced commercial operations at the Kakrapar Nuclear facilty, the KAPP-3.

"The Prime Minister, Shri Narendra Modi has congratulated scientists and engineers for achieving another milestone. The first largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat started operations at full capacity."

The first of this 700 MWe, indigenously developed system had encountered numerous birthing pains en-route to this milestone, leading to stoppages & delays.
In order to ensure the effective cooling of pump room air, several modifications were carried out in pump room ventilation system. For implementation of this modification work, KAPP-3 was shut down from 28.4.2021 and start up activities would commence after implementation of modification works.
This milestone would ease out the commissioning of the other Reactors in it's class - namely the KAPP-4 Reactor, as well as the Units 7 & 8 at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station [RAPS].
The roll-out plan for these Reactors involve setting up "16 such Nuclear Reactors, India is set to setup by 2032".
A much-welcome development.
Godspeed