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India's first indigenous 700 MWe nuclear plant starts in Gujarat; PM Modi calls 'milestone'
India's first indigenously developed 700 MWe nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project in Gujarat starts operations.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi commended the initiation of operations at India's first indigenously developed 700-megawatt electric (MWe) nuclear power reactor at the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) in Gujarat on Thursday.
Taking to the social media platform X, PM Modi stated, “India achieves another milestone. The largest indigenous 700 MWe Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant Unit-3 in Gujarat starts operations at full capacity. Congratulations to our scientists and engineers.”
Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector enterprise under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), is tasked with the design, construction, commissioning, and operation of nuclear power reactors.
NPCIL currently operates 23 commercial nuclear power reactors with a combined capacity of 7480 MW. The reactor fleet comprises two Boiling Water Reactors (BWRs), 19 Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs), including one 100 MW PHWR at Rajasthan owned by the DAE, Government of India, and two 1000 MW capacity VVER reactors. Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP) Unit 3 commenced commercial operation on June 30, 2023. NPCIL has 9 more reactors under construction with a total capacity of 7500 MW.
India's upcoming Nuclear Power plants
NPCIL is in the process of constructing two 700 MW pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWRs) at Kakrapar, which also hosts two 220 MW power plants.
Various commissioning activities were ongoing at KAPP 4, which had achieved 96.92 per cent progress by the end of May, according to officials.
NPCIL plans to establish 16 700 MW PHWRs across the country and has provided financial and administrative approval for the same.
Construction of 700 MW nuclear power plants is underway at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan (RAPS 7 and 8) and at Gorakhpur in Haryana (GHAVP 1 and 2).
The government has authorized the construction of 10 indigenously developed PHWRs in fleet mode at four locations—Gorakhpur in Haryana, Chutka in Madhya Pradesh, Mahi Banswara in Rajasthan, and Kaiga in Karnataka.
