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| India-Pakistan |
| Third Tarapur nuclear reactor connected to the grid |
| 2006-06-19 |
| NEW DELHI: The third unit of the Tarapur Atomic Power Project (TAPP-3), which will increase the country's nuclear power generation by one-sixth, is expected to be "declared commercial" six months ahead of schedule, said official sources. The 540 mega-watt electrical (MWe) unit was synchronised with the grid earlier this month. The time taken between criticality and synchronisation was one-fourth of that taken by its predecessor, Unit-4, which has given nuclear scientists the confidence of compressing the time schedule for generating commercial power from TAPP-3. Mandatory tests are being conducted on the unit and it will supply electricity to the grid known as "infirm power". During this period, the power of the unit will need to be varied and the unit may even be required to be shut down. The power of the unit will subsequently be increased to full power based on test results and authorisation by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. Once the station is declared commercial, it will produce electricity in a consistent manner and supply it to the grid. "TAPP-3 is expected to be declared commercial in July this year, six months ahead of schedule," added the officials. The two units of TAPP 3 and 4, of 540 MWe each, are the country's largest and most advanced nuclear power units. They are fully indigenous and have been designed and constructed by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking under the Department of Energy. TAPP 3 and 4 belong to the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor family, which uses natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator and coolant. The gestation period between building and commissioning is comparable to international benchmarks. The experience gained from these two units would be utilised to build units of size of 700 MWe. Four such units, two each at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and Kakrapar in Gujarat are proposed to be built. The NPCIL operates 15 nuclear plants with an aggregate capacity of 3360 MWe and this will increase to 3900 MWe once the 16th unit - TAPP-3 - is declared commercial. The Government plans to achieve an installed nuclear power capacity of 20,000 MWe by 2020 based on indigenous and imported fuels. |
| Posted by:john |
| #4 Interesting Indian design.. it breeds U233 from Thorium Advanced Heavy Water Reactor |
| Posted by: john 2006-06-19 15:48 |
| #3 Looks like West Bengal is getting reactors too Centre approves N-power station in WB Kolkata, June 19: The centre has approved the setting up of a nuclear power station at Egra in West Bengal's East Midnapore District, Chief Minister Buddhadev Bhattacharjee said here today. "The centre has agreed in principle to the setting up of a nuclear power station in the state and we have asked the Consulting Engineering Services (India) Private Ltd (CES) for feasibility study on the ambitious project," Bhattacharjee said inaugurating the first phase of the CES centre at Salt Lake. Bhattacharjee said it would be set up in the Egra area but site selection was yet to be made and it would be done in accordance with the feasibility report of the project. The approval of a nuclear power station in West Bengal came nearly a decade after the centre refused to okay a state government plan for one in the Sunderbans primarily because of strategic problems. A few years ago, a nuclear power station was commissioned at Nagoma in Japan with the consultancy of the CES, the Chief Minister said. CES sources said the company was making a feasibility study of various other mega projects in the state, including a Greenfield airport, a deep sea port along with ports at Kulpi and Sagar, an elevated light rapid transport system and eastern highway link connecting Barasat with Kulpi and Raichak. |
| Posted by: john 2006-06-19 15:19 |
| #2 Nucular energy, ma favorite. |
| Posted by: W 2006-06-19 13:01 |
| #1 Greenpeace protestors outside the gate in 4, 3, 2, 1.. |
| Posted by: john 2006-06-19 12:31 |