JOIN USAfter a brief halt due to failure in its turbine, the first unit of 1,000 mw capacity at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) is expected to restart power generation in two or three days.
The unit touched a peak generation of 650 mw last week after it obtained the atomic energy regulator’s sanction to generate up to 75 per cent power level.
“Turbine tripping is a normal phenomenon in a new plant when the power levels are being increased. Other maintenance activities are also being carried out while the turbine issue is being addressed,” a senior engineer from the unit said.
According to him, the power generation is expected to restart from Monday.
The official said the generated power in the unit is supplied to Tamil Nadu power utility for just Re 1 per unit.
The Nuclear Power Corporation is setting up two 1,000 mw Russian reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district at a cost of over Rs 17,000 crore.
The first unit is expected to produce commercial power in February first week and the second unit of the nuclear power plant is expect to attain criticality by September 2014.
Meanwhile, the anti-nuclear activitists in Kudankulam on Friday launched a indefinite hunger strike to draw the attention of the state government, which is holding its Assembly Session, to look into their various demands including to stop the functioning of the nuclear power project in their area.
Core committee members of People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) said that the performance of the first two reactors should be tested by independent scientists.
The people should also be informed whether the 15 conditions laid down by the Supreme Court last year has been complied with, they said.