After almost a year of uncertainty, the first 1,000 MWe nuclear reactor at Kudankulam is set to produce electricity within a month as the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) has approved loading of uranium fuel in the reactor.
The clearance issued to the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project will enable the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) to load fresh fuel assemblies into the reactor core and commence controlled nuclear fission for the first time in KKNPP unit-1, AERB said in a statement. The entire process will be carried out under AERB supervision.
“We will load uranium fuel assembly in the reactor pressure vessel for the first time. It will take about 10 days time to complete the activity after which there is work for another 15-20 days to ready the first unit for commercial operations. This means unit-1 can go critical (producing power) in the first half of September,” R S Sunder, site director at KKNPP told Deccan Herald.
Once the first unit is synchronised with the grid, the Nuclear Power Corporation may take about six-eight months to operationalise the second 1,000 Mw unit. Both are light water reactors imported from Russia.
New Delhi is currently negotiating with Moscow to import two more 1,000 MW light water reactors at Kudankulam.
The clearance is the culmination of a detailed review of the preliminary safety analysis reports and the final safety analysis report submitted by the NPCIL.