India's first PHWRs likely to be operational by 2015

The First Pour of Concrete (FPC) is an important milestone in the construction of a nuclear power project. It essentially signifies the start of construction of the project (zero date), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said.

The ground breaking for KAPP-3&4 started on January 16, 2010. The excavation work was successfully completed in a record time of four months.

The 700-MW PHWR is the latest state-of-the-art technology nuclear power reactor which has been designed by NPCIL by scaling up its 540 MW PHWRs (TAPS-3&4) that are under successful operation at Tarapur since 2005.

NPCIL has launched four indigenously designed 700-MW PHWRs, two each at Kakrapar in Gujarat and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan in January and August 2010, respectively. These reactors are slated for commercial operation in 2015 and 2016 respectively, NPCIL said.

The excavation work of other pair of 700 MW PHWRs, RAPP-7&8, at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, is also in advanced stage and the first pour of concrete is expected by March, 2011.

Currently, NPCIL operates 19 nuclear power reactors with an installed capacity of 4560 MW.