Even as the second reactor of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project has attained its generation capacity of 1,000 MWe, the first unit has so far produced 13,197 million units of power, according to R.S. Sundar, Site Director, KKNPP.
Addressing the Republic Day celebrations held at Anu Vijay Township, the residential complex of the KKNPP employees at Chettikulam on Thursday, Mr. Sundar said the first reactor, which had run continuously for 278 days since February 22 last after the first fuel outage, had so far generated 13,197 million units of electricity ever since it was synchronised with the Southern Grid. The first nuclear reactor of KKNPP had generated a gross profit of ₹1,000 crore during the first half-year of the current fiscal.
The second unit that attained its generation capacity of 1,000 MWe on January 21 was also functioning exceptionally well to become the 22nd nuclear reactor of the country. Before going in for commercial operation, certain mandatory tests would be conducted in this reactor.
He informed that the country’s nuclear power generation had gone up to 6,780 MWe after the second reactor of KKNPP started generating electricity.
On the ongoing excavation work for the third and fourth reactors of KKNPP, Mr. Sundar said the ‘First Pouring of Concrete’ for the reactor building would happen very soon.
Presently, ₹142 crore had been released to the District Collector for executing development works under the KKNPP Neighbourhood Development Programme. “The KKNPP Neighbourhood Development Programme has ensured hut-free Irukkanthurai, one of the beneficiary villages. It shows the commitment of the KKNPP and the district administration in developing the villages situated close to the project site under this programme,” Mr. Sundar claimed.
According to him, the KKNPP had spent ₹9 crore for executing 240 projects in the schools situated in the beneficiary villages. Construction of additional classroom buildings was going on at Parameswarapuram, Kudankulam and Vadakkankulam. Community centres, each costing about ₹1.50 crore, would come up at Kudankulam and Chettikulam.
The Site Director said experts from the KKNPP had met over 1.11 lakh students through 1,570 public awareness programmes being organised since 2011. Moreover, around 400 lectures and seminars were conducted during this period to tell over 5.60 lakh general public about KKNPP and dispel the myth about nuclear energy.
Mr. Sundar, after unfurling the tricolour at KKNPP project site, hoisted the national flag at Chettikulam.
