Gujarat: PM Narendra Modi took to social media site X on Thursday to announce that the 700 MW nuclear power plant, that was developed entirely in India, is now operating at maximum capacity.
In his post he wrote, “India achieves another milestone. The first largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat starts operations at full capacity. Congratulations to our scientists and engineers.”
The Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) commenced its commercial operations on June 30, but was operating at 90 per cent of its total capacity. However, on August 31, it started operating at full capacity.
The force behind this ‘milestone’ is the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL). Home to two 220 MW power plants, the NPCIL is also building two 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar. The corporation holds its reins over 23 nuclear power reactors and has plans to build 16 770 MW PHWRs across the nation. The NPCIL has already been granted the required financial and administrative sanctions for this project.
There are two nuclear power plant projects currently underway with a capacity of 700 MW, one in Rawatbhata, Rajasthan (RAPS 7 and 8), and another in Haryana’s Gorakhpur (GHAVP 1 and 2).
Sanctions have also been placed to build 10 indigenously built PHWRs at four locations in fleet mode- Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, Gorakhpur in Haryana, Kaiga in Karnataka and Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan.
