Construction work of India’s first pair of indigenously designed 700-MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) for Kakrapar Atomic Power Project Units 3 and 4 began in Gujarat State with the “first pour of concrete“. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd current operates two smaller units at this location and excavation for Units 3/4 started some months ago. The two new units are slated to start up in 2015 and 2016. The 700-MW PHWR is has been designed by NPCIL by scaling up its 540 MW PHWRs that are under successful operation at Tarapur since 2005 at TAPS 3 and 4. Two more 700 MWe PHWRs are to be built at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan, referred to as RAPP 7 and 8. Ground breaking took place at Rawatbhata in August 2010, and NPCIL says that first concrete is expected by March 2011.
These plans are proceeding in parallel with expansions of Russian technology at Kudankulam and expected installation of French and American technologies at greenfield sites in Maharashtra, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh.
Indian media also reports that Kakrapar 1 and 2 have been running at just 140 MW which is under 70 percent of capacity, possibly due to an earlier shortage of fuel. NPCIL’s Managing Director revealed that the Government of India will place these two reactors under international safeguards in early December. This will enable recently imported uranium to be utilized at the plants and bring them their power production closer to capacity.
