The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project’s first unit attained its maximum capacity of 1,000 MWe at 1.20 p.m. Saturday.
The milestone, which came as a shot in the arm for KKNPP engineers and officials, has demonstrated that the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is capable of running 1,000 Mwe-class reactors built with Russia’s VVER technology. When the first unit reached 90 per cent of its capacity on May 5, it was expected to attain the maximum capacity within a week. But other mandatory tests and clearance from the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) for raising its power factor took more time than earlier envisaged.
“It is really an emotional experience for us as the reactor’s power generation gradually ascended from three digits to four digits at 1.20 p.m. All technical parameters are satisfactory,” said R.S. Sundar, Site Director, KKNPP. The reactor had attained criticality on July 13 last year. The cumulative generation from the first unit so far is 1,900 million units of electricity. The first unit was synchronised with the southern grid on October 22, 2013.
Out of the 1,000 Mwe from the first unit, Tamil Nadu will get 562 MWe. This includes 100 MWe from the unallocated share.
