The turbine of the first reactor at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), which had been stalled for conducting a range of tests following the maiden synchronisation early on Tuesday morning, was synchronised again at 9.43 p.m. on Friday.
After the power started cascading from the first reactor for a short while from 2.45 a.m. on Tuesday and the quantum of electricity transmitted to the Southern Grid touched 160 MWe, the turbine was stopped manually for tests.
As the results were found “extremely satisfactory,” the AERB, which had already given permission for electricity generation up to 500 MWe, allowed the KKNPP to resume generation. Subsequently, the reactor’s turbine was operated again on Friday night and was synchronised with the Southern Grid. By 10.05 pm, the quantum of power overflowing from the reactor crossed 180 MWe. “The quantum (of power) increases at the rate of 6 — 7 MWe per minute,” said an engineer present at the site during the resynchronisation.
