South Gujarat-based Kakarapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) owned by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India shut down following a leak in its Primary Heat Transport System (PHTS) on Friday.
“Unit one of the KAPS was closed following a small leak in the PHTS on Friday morning. All the safety systems at the plant are working intended. The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) -1 & 2 consists of two units of pressurised heavy water reactor of 220MWe each,” said the NPCl’s site director lalitkumar Jain. He also added that the radio-activity/ radiation levels in the plant premises and outside are normal.
The sources in the State Government machinery stated that there was no need for panic or evacuation at plant and surrounding areas.
KAPS situated in the proximity of Vyara town in South Gujarat. It consists of two 220 MW pressurized water reactors with heavy water as moderator (PHWR). KAPS-1 went critical on 3 September 1992 and began commercial electricity production a few months late on 6 May 1993. KAPS-2 went critical on 8 January 1995 and began commercial production on 1 September 1995. The construction cost of KAPS originally were estimated to be 3.8252 billion rupees, the plant was finally finished at a price of 13.35 billion rupees.
It is worth mentioning that in 1998 KAPS-1 was switched off because of leakage in the cooling loop for 66 days. On 10th March 2004 the supply for the control rods were irreparably damaged during maintenance work. On March 11, 2006, one unit was shut down due to reported leak of heavy water.
NPCIl which owns KAPS is a Government of India PSU and controlled by Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The Company was registered as a Public limited Company under the Companies Act, 1956 in September 1987 with the objectives of operating atomic power plants and implementing atomic power projects for generation of electricity in pursuance of the schemes and programmes of the Government of India under the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.