India’s first 700 MW nuclear reactor developed in India at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat began commercial operation on Friday, a senior official said. “We are very pleased to announce that our first domestic unit of 700 MWe, KAPP-3, has been commissioned on June 30, 2023 at 1000 hours, unit is operating at 90 percent of its total capacity” said a senior KAPP official.
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is building two 700 MW Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) at Kakrapar, which also houses two 220 MW power plants. At KAPP 4, which achieved 96.92% progress by the end of May, various commissioning activities were underway, according to officials. NPCIL plans to build sixteen 700 MW PHWRs across the country and has given financial and administrative sanctions for the same.
Construction of 700 MW nuclear power plants is underway at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan (RAPS 7 and 8) and Gorakhpur in Haryana (GHAVP 1 and 2). Government has approved construction of 10 autonomously developed PHWRs in fleet mode at four locations – Gorakhpur in Haryana, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan and Kaiga in Karnataka.
