India has begun commercial operation of its first domestically designed 700-MWe pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR) at the Kakrapar nuclear power plant in Gujarat, state-owned Nuclear Power Corp. of India Ltd. (NPCIL) reported on Aug. 30.
Commercial operation of Unit 3 at Kakrapar Atomic Power Project, which is located near the city of Vyara in the state of Gujarat, began on June 30, nearly three years after the unit achieved first criticality. Unit 4, a twin 700-MWe unit, is at an “advanced stage of commissioning,” with a target to begin commercial operation in March 2024, the government entity noted. Kakrapar already houses two 220-MWe PHWR reactors completed between 1993 and 1995,
Kakrapar 3’s commercial operation, marks a significant milestone for India, positioning the reactor as the “front-runner” in a series of 16 indigenous 700-MWe PHWRs, which are at various stages of implementation,” NPCIL said.
India has a 6.3-GW operating nuclear fleet comprised of 17 PHWR nuclear reactors, and two VVER pressurized water reactors (PWRs, at Kundankulam in Tamil Nadu). Two boiling water reactors (BWRs) at Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Maharashtra state and one PHWR (Unit 1 at the Madras Atomic Power Station in Tamil Nadu) are currently in suspended operation.
It also has eight nuclear reactors under construction. Along with Kakrapar 4 in Gujarat, these include two other 700-MW PHWRs at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station and four PWRs at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. NPCIL last week noted that 15 700-MWe PHWR reactors “are at different stages of implementation.” A prototype fast-breeder reactor (PFBR), spearheaded by India’s national nuclear research arm, Bharatiya Nabhikiya Vidyut Nigam Ltd. (BHAVINI), is also reportedly at an advanced stage of integrated commissioning in Kalpakkam, Tamil Nadu. The government anticipates completing construction of these projects by 2027.
https://www.powermag.com/india-begins-commercial-operation-of-first-domestically-designed-700-mwe-phwr-nuclear-reactor/