The second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tamil Nadu today resumed electricity generation, Site Director S V Jinna said in a release. The Unit was undergoing maintenance for over three months.
It resumed power generation at 1325 hrs, S V Jinna said in a release. The unit was shut to take up annual generator maintenance on August 4.
After successfully undergoing maintenance, Unit-2 was made critical on November 16 and the mandated “pre and post” criticality tests were carried out, he added. It was synchronised with the Southern grid at 1325 hrs and scientists would gradually increase the power generation, he said.
The first unit is generating 1,000 MW electricity presently. It was “taken offline” for refuelling and maintenance in April and resumed power generation on August 29.
The KKNPP, an Indo-Russian joint venture, is located at Tirunelveli district. “With two 1000 MWe power units, the KKNPP site has so far generated 20,329.51 million units of electricity,” the release said.
Light-water VVER-type reactors with regular water under pressure – are used in nuclear power plants design in Russia. Nuclear power plants with VVER-type reactors are now at various stages of implementation in Finland, Belarus, Bangladesh and other countries. In such reactors water serves both as a neutron moderator and as a reactor coolant.
The current installed nuclear power capacity in India comprises of 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW. The present share of nuclear energy is about 3.2% in the current financial year 2016-17 (up to Feb-2017).
India has accorded ‘in principle’ approval of five sites for locating 28 nuclear power reactors with a total capacity of about 32000 MW.
In addition, there are presently nine reactors under construction with a total capacity of 6700 MW. The Government has also recently accorded administrative approval and financial sanction for 12 reactors with a total capacity of 9000 MW.
