The second unit of 1,000 MWe at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Station will reach criticality “very soon,” probably in a matter of days. “We are ready” and “we are in the right direction” for the first approach to criticality, S.K. Sharma, Chairman and Managing Director of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, told The Hindu .
The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board had already given the in-principle approval for the first approach to criticality.
Advisory committee
Asked whether the Russian reactor, built by the NPCIL, would be started up before June-end, Mr. Sharma said: “It could be even before that.”
An advisory committee for the project safety review would soon take “a final look at the preparedness” for the commissioning of the reactor. Mr. Sharma said: “There are some legal requirements to be completed before we start the first approach to criticality... The AERB, the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board have to certify before the Supreme Court that everything is in order. These compliance certificates are being filed.”
Once the NPCIL assured itself that all these certificates were filed before the court, it would start the process of criticality.
Russian reactors
Two Russian reactors, called VVER-1000, have come up at Kudankulam. These reactors, built by the NPCIL, use enriched uranium as fuel and light water as coolant.
The first unit was started up on July 13, 2013. Tamil Nadu’s share from the first unit is 562.50 MWe; it is 50 MWe, 221 MWe and 133 MWe for Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Kerala. Puducherry’s share is 33.50 MWe. Tamil Nadu is expected to get a minimum of 462.50 MWe from the second unit.
Pit excavation is under way for the third and fourth units at Kudankulam. The fifth and sixth units will also come up. The NPCIL will build all these reactors, each with a capacity of 1,000 MWe.
