Prime Minister of India announced that the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat, which houses the country’s first indigenously developed 700 MW nuclear power plant, is now operating at full capacity. While the reactor had begun commercial operations in June, it was initially running at 90 percent capacity. The Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is constructing two 700 MW pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar. NPCIL has plans for 16 such PHWRs nationwide and is progressing on multiple fronts, including Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and Gorakhpur in Haryana.
Facts/Terms for UPSC Prelims
- Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs): These are a type of nuclear reactor that uses heavy water as both a moderator and coolant. PHWRs are commonly used in India’s nuclear power plants for electricity generation.
- Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP): Located in Gujarat, KAPP houses nuclear reactors and is a significant facility for India’s nuclear power generation.
- Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL): NPCIL is a government-owned company responsible for the generation of nuclear power in India. It operates several nuclear power plants across the country.
- Fleet Mode: This term refers to the simultaneous construction of multiple nuclear reactors at different locations to increase the country’s nuclear power generation capacity.