JOIN USKudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) first unit, on course to reach commercial operations by February, on Sunday hit the milestone power production of 570 MW.
KNPP site director R S Sundar said the unit has reached 570 MW and would soar by a further 20 per cent in the next few days.
Indian Atomic Energy Regulator (IAER) has allowed the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. (NPCIL) to increase the power generation of the first unit at Kudankulam up to 75 per cent.
“We will reach 75 per cent mark by this Wednesday”, he said.
Sundar said the unit has to get two more permissions before it can go up to 100 per cent reactor power levels.
“The first stage of permission will be to go beyond 75 per cent and up to 90 per cent. The second stage will be to go up to 100 per cent from 90 per cent power levels,” Sundar said.
The official pointed out that the decision of declaring the unit as commercially operational rests with the officials in the corporate office in Mumbai.
The first unit attained criticality in July 2013 and in August 2013, IAER permitted NPCIL to operate the reactor up to 50 per cent level. As the first unit at KNPP is yet to be declared as commercially operational, the power generated is termed as infirm power and supplied Tamil Nadu at lower rates.