Heavy water nuclear reactor commissioned at Tarapore

Country's first 540 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) today attained its criticality, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr Anil Kako...

Country’s first 540 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) today attained its criticality, Atomic Energy Commission chairman Dr Anil Kakodkar informed.

The new reactor — Unit 4 of Tarapore Atomic Power Station, which is the flagship plant of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), will be connected to the Western Grid for commercial purposes before August this year. With this addition of 540 MW into the Western Grid, the total nuclear power generated in the country would be 3310 MW, Kakodkar told reporters.

Currently, NPCIL produces 2770 MW electricity from its plants in Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, Rajashtan, Karnataka and Gujarat. National Security Advisor, M.K. Narayanan was also present on the occasion.

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Before connecting to the grid, the plant will undergo various tests and experiments, since it is the first indigenously designed reactor and also the largest one. The PHWR at Kalpakkam, Narora, Kakrapar, Kaiga and Kota are of 220 MW capacity.

The plant was completed in record time, almost seven months ahead of the original schedule. Congratulating the AEC team, PM Manmohan Singh said the development was an ‘‘important step in our quest to attain energy security through the use of nuclear power for peaceful purposes’’.

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