India's first indigenously developed nuclear power plant unit begins operation at full capacity; PM hails scientists

In a significant development, India's first indigenously developed nuclear power plant unit in Gujarat has started operations at full capacity. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday congratulated scientists and engineers for achieving what he called "another milestone". In a tweet, he said: "India achieves another milestone. The first largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat starts operations at full capacity."

The Kakrapar Unit-3 is an expansion of the existing nuclear power plant, which already had two operational units, KAPS-1 and KAPS-2, each with a capacity of around 220 MWe (megawatts electrical). The third unit is larger and more advanced compared to the first two. Another unit (KAPP 4) has also been constructed and operation here is expected to begin by March 2024. 

The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited or NPCIL, which operates the nuclear plants in the country, in a note on its website said that KAPP-3 and 4 are India's first pair of indigenously designed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) of 700 MW unit size with enhanced safety features. "Unit-3 has started Commercial Operation from June 30, 2023," it said. 

In Unit-4, all civil works are completed, and progressive completion, testing, and commissioning of various equipment and systems are in progress, the corporation said. Major milestones like a hydro test of the primary heat transport system, reactor building proof test, and integrated leak rate test and hot conditioning are completed successfully, the NPCIL said. "Another major milestone, turbine-generator operation on barring gear is achieved successfully in July 2023."