Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) on Match 17 commissioned India's third indigenous 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR) in Rajasthan, taking India's nuclear power generation capacity to 8,880 megawatt (MW).
The Unit 7 of the Rajasthan Atomic Power Project (RAPP) at Rawatbhata “was connected to the Northern Grid today at 02:37 hrs, after complying with all pre-requisites including those stipulated by Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)”, the company said in a statement on March 17. “The power level of the unit will be increased in steps to full power, in line with the regulatory clearances.”
RAPP-7 is the third reactor of the 700 MW series of 16 indigenous PHWRs being set up in the country. These India-made reactors have advanced safety features and are among the safest in the world, according to the company.
"The successful grid connection of RAPP-7, after the smooth operation of the first two 700 MW PHWRs - KAPS 3 and 4 (2X700 MW) at Kakrapar in Gujarat, establishes the robustness of the NPCIL's 700 MW PHWR design and the capabilities of NPCIL and the Indian industries," the company said.
Also Read: NPCIL to add 1,400 MW nuclear power capacity this year, says CMD Bhuwan Chandra Pathak.
Nuclear power is not renewable energy but is a zero-emission clean energy source. It generates power through fission, which is the process of splitting uranium atoms to produce energy. The heat released is used to create steam that spins a turbine to generate electricity without the harmful by-products emitted by fossil fuels.
The PHWR technology uses natural uranium, heavy water coolant, and a horizontal cylindrical vessel called a calandria to produce nuclear energy.
NPCIL chairman and managing director Bhuwan Chandra Pathak told Moneycontrol that these 700 MW nuclear reactors will play a significant role in meeting target of 100 gigawatts by 2047, as announced under the Nuclear Energy Mission.
A typical 700 MW reactor would generate about 5.2 billion units of clean electricity (at 85 percent plant load factor) annually, averting about 4.5 million tons of CO2 equivalent emissions.
Rawatbhata already has six units with a total capacity of 1,180 MW. With the commissioning of RAPP-7, NPCIL now operates 25 reactors.
India is turning to nuclear energy as it cannot only rely on renewable energy to achieve its net zero target by 2047. Renewable energy is intermittent in the absence of affordable storage solutions. Nuclear energy can help meet India's growing power demand.
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