Kakrapar: State-run Nuclear Power
Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) expects to begin work on its
10 reactors of 700 MW each by March 2012, a top official said
Monday.
"NPCIL has received full financial sanction for its
four reactors of 700 MW each (two each in Kakrapar in Gujarat
and Rawatbhata in Rajasthan) and has received in-principle
approval for six more reactors to come up in Haryana (four
reactors) and Madhya Pradesh (two reactors).
"We expect that by March 2012, the work on all the 10
reactors would be commissioned," NPCIL`s Chairman and Managing
Director S K Jain said after the function of `First Pour of
Concrete` (beginning of construction process) of the Kakrapar
Unit 3 here today.
He said that the Kakrapar 3 and 4 units would be
commissioned within four years of its construction.
"We have the necessary technology and skill with us.
We expect to complete construction work and commission the
plant within four years of construction, which would
be much ahead of the deadline," Jain said.
Jain said the Kakrapar 3 and 4 units will demonstrate
a big leap in the domestic technology front in the nuclear
energy sector for India.
Currently, there are two plants, Kakrapar 1 and 2 of
220 MW each operational here.
"There is a capacity to house more 700 MW plants here.
If we can achieve our target well before time, we will be able
to set two more plants here," Jain said.
He also said that by the end of the Twelfth Five Year
plan, the work on 28 reactors would be in progress.
"We expect the work on four nuclear power plants of
over 1000 MW each, which will be set up in co-operation with
foreign companies to commence by the end of this five year
plan," he said.
Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Shrikumar Banerjee,
said the 700 MW indigenous plants are a technology feat for
India.
"India is the holder in the Pressurised Heavy Water
Reactor (PHWR) technology. With this we are developing as a
major power of the world with our own indigenous technology,"
Banerjee said.
He also said that research was also being carried out
on enriching the uranium in the existing PHWRs for enhancing
the lifetime of the reactors.
The first Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor of 500 MW
would be commissioned in 2012-2013, he said.
"We would be setting up two more 500 MW each plants
using thorium. But later, we plan to use metallic fuel for a
new reactor. We are working on developing the metallic fuel,"
Banerjee said.
PTI
