Indian nuclear reactors generate record power
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India's 19 nuclear reactors generated a record 32,455 million units (MUs) of power in fiscal 2011-12, posting a robust growth of 23 per cent over previous fiscal (2010-11) when the combined output was 26,473 MUs, the state-run nuclear firm said on Wednesday.
"The combined power generated by our 19 nuclear reactors across the country in 2011-12 was the highest ever, surpassing targets set for the year under review and earned a turnover of Rs7,500 crore, registering an increase of 25 percent over previous fiscal (2010-11) at Rs6,000 crore," the Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL) said in a statement here.
The company's four pressurised heavy water reactors at Kaiga in Uttara Kannada district near coastal Karnataka, about 500 km from here, generated 5,212 MUs as against its target of 4,332 MUs.
"The reactors operated at 91 per cent of their capacity, generating 650 mw of power, which is supplied to the southern grid," Kaiga director J.P. Gupta said in the statement.
Of the 19 reactors, nine, fuelled with imported uranium, operated at 97 per cent capacity.
The company's Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS-3) at Trombay in Mumbai operated without a break for a record 522 days. The 540 mw unit has pressurised heavy water reactor.
"Safety of all the reactors remained high with no incidents during the year. The safety review post-Fukushima of the operating units and reactors under construction found them to be safe from natural events such as earthquake and tsunami," the company said.
The first unit of the controversial Koodankulam nuclear power project in southern Tamil Nadu is being readied for an early start up.
Of the new projects, two pressurised heavy water reactors of 700 mw each at Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP-7&8) are at an advanced stage of construction.
Two units of 700 mw pressurised heavy water reactors at Kakrapur Atomic Power Project (KAPP) at Surat in southern Gujarat are under construction at Surat in southern Gujarat.
The company has set an ambitious target of adding 9,580 mw by the end of the 12th five-year plan (2012-17) from the present 4,680 mw installed capacity on completion of new reactors under construction.
To achieve the target of 17,000 mw capacity during the 12th plan period, the company will build 10 pressurised heavy water reactor stations of 700 mw each and 10 light water reactors of 1000 mw across the country.
"When completed, the combined nuclear power capacity will reach 20,000 mw by 2021-22," the statement added.
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