New Delhi: State-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) said on Friday that it has begun loading of nuclear fuel for the first time in Unit-7 of Rajasthan Atomic Power Project at Rawatbhata, Kota. The news comes days after Minister of State (MoS) for the Department of Atomic Energy said in Parliament that the project is in advanced stages of completion and is expected to be operational soon. “Loading of nuclear fuel for the first time commenced in the Unit-7 of NPCIL’s Rajasthan Atomic Power Project 7&8 (RAPP-7&8-2x700 MW), located at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan on August 01, 2024,” said NPCIL in a statement.
“The Initial Fuel Loading (IFL) process was started after receipt of permission from the regulatory authority, the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) and completion of all pre-requisites. The permission was issued by the AERB after stringent safety and security reviews,” the statement added. It added that the unit is expected to start commercial operations this year.
NPCIL said that the initial fuel loading will soon be followed by the fission chain reaction and power generation. “Initial Fuel Loading will be followed by First Approach to Criticality (start of fission chain reaction) and subsequent start of power generation,” said the statement. The unit is expected to start commercial operations in the current year, said NPCIL. The Unit-8 of the project is also expected to follow Unit-7 and come online next year, said NPCIL.
“RAPP-7 is the third in the series of sixteen indigenous Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) being set up in the country. The first two units, KAPP 3&4 at Kakrapar, Gujarat commenced commercial operation in 2023-24,” said NPCIL. These indigenous reactors advanced safety features and are among the safest reactors in the world, said NPCIL.
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