India's first indigenous 700 MWe nuclear plant starts its operations ; Know why it is milestone

In a significant development, India's first indigenously developed 700MW nuclear power plant in the western state of Gujarat's Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) to start operations at full capacity.

  

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated scientists and engineers for achieving what he called "another milestone". In a tweet, he said: "India achieves another milestone. The first largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat starts operations at full capacity."

The Kakrapar Unit-3 is an expansion of the existing nuclear power plant, which already had two operational units, KAPS-1 and KAPS-2, each with a capacity of around 220 MWe (megawatts electrical). The third unit is larger and more advanced compared to the first two. Another unit (KAPP 4) has also been constructed and operation here is expected to begin by March 2024.

 

 

The reactor at the power project started commercial operations on June 30 but has been operating at 90 per cent of its capacity till now. The officials have said that various commissioning activities were underway at KAPP 4, which had achieved 97.56 per cent progress by July.

The NPCIL plans to build 16 700 MW PHWRs across the country and has granted financial and administrative sanctions for the same. Construction of 700 MW nuclear power plants is underway at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan (RAPS 7 and 8) and at Gorakhpur in Haryana (GHAVP 1 and 2).

The commissioning of the unit is a major boost for India's nuclear power program. It is also a testament to the skills and capabilities of Indian scientists and engineers. The unit is expected to generate around 700 million units of electricity per year, which will help to meet the growing demand for power in India.

The commissioning of the unit is also a major step towards India's goal of becoming a clean energy superpower. Nuclear power is a low-carbon source of energy that can help to reduce India's reliance on fossil fuels.

According to a statement issued earlier in March by the Department of Atomic Energy, the government has set a target of generating 20% of its electricity from nuclear power by 2030. The commissioning of Kakrapar Unit-3 is a significant step towards meeting this goal.