Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's nod awaited: S.K. Jain
Expressing satisfaction over the progress in preparing the first reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project for commissioning, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jain has said the KKNPP is awaiting the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board's clearance to open the reactor pressure vessel for inspecting the internal components' performance and subsequent loading of enriched uranium fuel rods.
Dr. Jain was here along with a team of Russian specialists headed by Valery Limarenko, president of Atomstroyexports, the Russian firm constructing the reactors at the KKNPP, to ascertain the progress of work, which resumed on March 19, for ensuring the early commissioning of the first of the 2 X 1,000-MWe reactor.
After the successful completion of the ‘hot run,' the test reports were submitted to the AERB for review by a team of experts. Once they accepted the test results, clearance would be given for opening the reactor pressure vessel, which would also be submitted to the AERB for another round of review. The specialists' group in the AERB would carry out a detailed study of these inspection reports after which clearance for fuel loading would be given by the AERB.
Following this final clearance, enriched uranium fuel loading, the first step towards criticality of the plant, would be taken up. Since the preparation for commissioning the plant was progressing as planned, it was expected that fuel loading might be taken up by mid-June and criticality attained in the next few weeks.
“Since all test results are very encouraging and inspections conducted so far have shown that every component has performed really well, we expect the clearances in time and fuel loading can be expected by mid-June. Over 35 per cent of the components have been re-checked and the remaining will be re-checked in due course. We have to wait for the clearances as there is no place for any shortcut for achieving our goals,” Dr. Jain said.
On his meeting with the heads of 29 village panchayats and three town panchayats around the KKNPP on Thursday, Dr. Jain said that he was moved by the encouraging words from the rural local body heads and had assured them that the NPCIL would be a part of development activities to be carried out in this region by the State and the Union governments.
As regards conducting a drill before the commissioning of the plant, Dr. Jain said it would be held at the appropriate time after holding talks with State government officials.
Mr. Limarenko, while categorically rejecting reports that the post-Fukushima scenario had forced several countries to keep themselves away from nuclear energy programmes, said his company, which was involved in the construction of 20 nuclear reactors in Russia and China, was holding talks with Vietnam, Turkey and Bangladesh on the construction of nuclear reactors in those countries.
He reassured that the reactors under construction, and also those to come up on the KKNPP premises, would have several layers of the most modern safety features to ensure the safety and security of the workforce and people living around the plant.
Director (Finance), NPCIL, Preman Dinaraj, station director, KKNPP (Units 1 and 2) R.S. Sundar and project director (Units 3 and 4) K. Banerjee were present.
Given enough time modern civilization will destroy itself. And thus lead us to extinction. The worst culprits are people having no civic sense and who disregard strict energy conservation and living energy enjoyment. Coal ash must be dumped into the abandoned mines. The increase in automobiles is unpardonable and we must change over to mass transportation after ensuring a life style which allows us to live where we work. Polluting industries must be prohibited if they cannot manage wastes acceptably. Nuclear power programmes do not give any energy to society outside the nuclear industry. Their wastes are unacceptably dangerous for countless generations. They must be isolated from the biosphere practically forever. People are so ignorant that they blithely talk about underground chambers as if they can afford to act god. Further nuclear reactors can esily explode under the action of the gigantic surges of dams like in Fukushima. The powerless nukes must be stopped forthwith.
Nuclear wastes are isolated from the biosphere by placing them in underground concrete chambers, unlike the wastes from thermal plants, factories and automobiles which are released into the biosphere. What about domestic wastes and plastic (which will not degrade even in 10000 years) which are being dumped into the environment?
Just some food for thought for those who complain about nuclear wastes.
Where will the nuclear waste go? In any eventuality, this time who is going to escort
out warren anderson safely? Isn;t it good to start one more nuclear power plant in
Bhopal? That state also needs electricity.
Good but scientific community should think about the alternate energy sources or make this nuclear reactor safe, All should understand the effects of radiation. Prevention is better than cure. In this case we need to be 200 % proactive in prevention.
Nuclear power plants are need of the hour but need to be shelved in long run with better and safe alternatives.
I would in other ways still say no to nuclear energy...as,I can't
understand why we are getting into this technology which the European
countries (FRANCE)are finding ways to liquidate, with the number of
people we have we should find ways to acquire green energy....
Congradulations to NPCIL.Add more Power plants and make India rich in
clean nuclear power.
Great News!! Congrats to the dedicated and patriotic scientists at NPCIL.
Hope units 2 and later 3 and 4 also attain fruition.
Thanks to clean, green nuclear power, TN will become a powerhouse.
Stop this intergenerational crime on all life without a dump for the wastes and adverse energy audit of nuclear power programmes.
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