In a record, Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL) produced 32,455 million units of power in the financial year 2011-12, marking an increase of 23 per cent from 26,473 million units generated in 2010-1. Its 19 operating reactors, with a total installed capacity of 4,680 MWe, generated the 32,455 million units.
“The financial year 2011-12 has seen a robust growth for us. The turnover has increased to about Rs.7,500 crore from Rs.6,000 crore in the previous financial year,” NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director S.K. Jain said.
The average capacity factor for nine reactors, out of the 19 reactors fuelled by imported uranium, was an all-time high of 97 per cent. The average capacity factor for the 19 reactors was 79 per cent, against the target of 66 per cent.
Continuous operation
The third unit (540 MWe) of the Tarapur Atomic Power Station in Maharashtra achieved a feat of continuous operation for 522 days, thus joining the fleet of 10 reactors that were operated continuously for one year, Mr. Jain said.
“Safety continues to be accorded the highest priority in all the nuclear power reactors and there were no incidents while achieving the excellent operational performance.” The reactors' safety performance was “impeccable in the 350 reactor-years of operation.”
A review done post Fukushima for the operating reactors and those under construction found them to be safe from earthquakes and tsunamis. Several additional safety measures had been incorporated, he said.
Construction of four reactors, each with a capacity of 700 MWe — two each at Rawatbhatta in Rajasthan and Kakrapara in Gujarat, was on.
In the 12 Plan period (2012 to 2017), NPCIL planned to build 10 indigenous reactors of 700 MWe that would use natural uranium as fuel and 10 imported reactors of 1,000 MWe each, which would use enriched uranium as fuel.
