Defective valves in K'kulam plant replaced: NPCIL

In a bid to allay fears, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) in a statement said the four valves “of a particular type found deficient” in the first 1000 Mwe Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) in Tamil Nadu have “been replaced”.

Seeking to remove misconceptions about the alleged faulty valves, the NPCIL has categorically refuted popular impressions that quality processes involved in each and every stage of the plant’s commissioning was given the go-by.

The four valves under discussion, the NPCIL said, “are part of passive core flooding system”. These valves are “passive in nature and do not require any motive power for their operation,” it pointed out giving details.

Stating that these valves were “initially tested in factory facilities in simulated conditions,” the NPCIL said that they are also “evaluated under operating conditions to ascertain their performance as per the design intent,” as part of the normal industry practice to test the performance of components.