The Department of Atomic Energy crossed an important landmark on Monday when its total nuclear power output crossed the 5,000 MW mark. "The nuclear power reactors of India which were generating 4,900 MW till Monday morning increased their output to 5,001 MW with the synchronisation of the second unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNP) with the southern grid on Monday morning at 11.17 hours," RS Sundar, director, KKNPP told The Pioneer. Synchronisation of the unit marks the generation of electricity and its supply to the grid. Presently the Unit-2 whch has a capability to generate 1,000 MW power is supplying 245 MW to the Southern Grid.
The unit-2 of the KKNPP attained criticality on July 10, 2016. Subsequently, various reactor physics experiments were carried out at low power under the supervision of experts from Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB), Nuclear Power Corporation of India limited (NPCIl) and Russian specialists, and clearance was obtained from AERB for first synchronisation of unit with the southern grid.
A Press release by the DAE stated that the unit-2 would be shut down for mandatory inspection of turbine-generator after few days of operation. The power level will be increased in phases to 50 per cent, 75 per cent, and 90 per cent and to 100 per cent full power after obtaining necessary regulatory clearances. According to Sundar, the second unit would start yielding the full power of 1,000 MW before December 2016.
This reactor belonging to light Water Reactor category was established in technical collaboration with the Russian Federation at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli District of Tamil Nadu. This is the 22nd nuclear power reactor in the country. It is also the second 1,000 MW power generation unit in India. With the addition of KKNPP — 2, the Kudankulam site holds a distinction for having two single largest power generation units in the country.