Tirunelveli: The 1,000 MW first unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), which stopped generation on May 9 after the reactor tripped due to a technical problem in the steam generator level control, resumed operation on Thursday. Generation started again at 4.47 am on Thursday. According to R.S. Sundar, site director, KKNPP, attained 160 MW around 6 am. “Generation has been steadily increased to reach 490 MW at 5 pm, and this will be further increased to attain the maximum capacity by tomorrow morning,” he told told DC.
The project’s first unit, the biggest power generation unit in the country, attained criticality in July 2013. It began commercial production on Dec 31, 2014. Since the 1,000 MW nuclear power generation unit attained criticality, the director said, a total of 6,314 million units had been generated till it tripped on May 9. The unit had fetched a revenue of around Rs 1000 crore by distributing 2,964 million units of power produced to the Southern states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Pondicherry, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, at the rate of Rs 4 per unit.
At present, Tamil Nadu was receiving 562 MW from the first unit of KKNPP, which is expected to be doubled once the second unit started generation.According to the director, the second unit which successfully completed hot run test in April this year was awaiting the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board ( AERB)’s clearance for fuel loading, following which the unit will attain criticality. “This process may take another three months,” he added. He said the immediate next process was to remove the dummy fuel from the reactor pressure vessel head.
The first reactor too is expected to be shutdown for annual maintenance by the middle of this year as, according to AERB norms, any nuclear power plant after continuous operation of 10 months should be shutdown for a maximum of a month and a half for maintenance. During this suspension period one third of the dual rods will be replaced.
