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A nuclear power plant uses nuclear reactions to create energy. Nuclear reactions are chemical reactions that occur in the core of atoms and molecules. The reactions release energy from the nucleus of an atom or molecule, allowing atoms and molecules to change their state. This nuclear power is used to power electricity-generating turbines, which spin inside a metal ring and create electricity. One of the world’s largest nuclear power plants, Kakrapar Atomic Power Station, is located in Gujarat, India. The plant was built on an old aluminium plant site, and its original name was the Gujarat Atomic Power Project.
About Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant
Construction began in 1984 on the Kakrapar Atomic Power Station. It is located close to the Tapi river and Surat city in Gujarat. The Canadian company, Candu Energy, supplied the Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWR) used in the plant. The first commercial nuclear power station in India is operated by India’s Nuclear Power Corporation. The plant has an installed capacity of 1,000 MW and a net capacity of 972 MW. It has a capacity factor of about 38.25%.
History
The commissioning of the first two 220MW units- KAPS-1 and KAPS-2- was done in 1993 and 1995, respectively. These two units are fuelled with natural uranium and possess an on-power refuelling feature. The estimated expenditure for the construction of the Kakrapar nuclear power plant was ₹3.8252 billion. However, the final number ended up being ₹13.35 billion. The construction of KAPS-3 and KAPS-4 started in 2010.
India’s Nuclear Strategy
The Indian strategy of nuclear power is divided into three stages:
- PHWR is an acronym for Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors. These are the kind of reactors used in most nuclear plants present in India. Presently, there are nearly 22 PHWR reactors in the country among 7 nuclear power plants.
- FBR is an acronym for Fast Breeder Reactor, which makes use of fast neutrons in order to produce more nuclear fuels than how much they consume. These are not actively used in the country at present.
- Breeder Reactor is a reactor that produces more fissile than its consumption in order to generate energy.
Presently, all the four Kakrapar Nuclear Power plant units are at the first stage of their working.
Construction Data of Units
The area acquired for the construction of the unit is 1000×700m². The power and control cables are 190km and 250km respectively. Since they are working at the first stage, the reactor used is PHWR. Natural uranium fuels the unit. The primary coolant in this unit is heavy water. The first two units of PHWR, KAPS-1 and KAPS-2, generate electricity of 200MWe, whereas KAPS-3 and KAPS-4 have the efficiency to produce electricity of 700MWe.
Details of KAPS 1 and KAPS 2 Units
The two natural uranium-fuelled KAPS 1 and 2 units have an on-power refuelling facility, allowing refuelling during operations. One of the best safety features present in the building is that it can contain all the radioactive discharge if there is any failure of the reactor systems. It is connected to the service building by the double door airlocks. The turbine building has all the main components like turbo-generator, diesel generators, condenser cooling, and other auxiliary components.
Details of KAPS 3 and KAPS 4 Units
In the Indian PHWR design, these two units come under the Mark V type category. To rectify the drawbacks of the previous units, these units are built with high tech safety features. These are the first indigenous plants in India with PHWR reactors and are developed and operated by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. KAPS 3 and KAPS 4 are equipped with steam generators made up of a low alloy of steel and tubes made of nickel-iron-chromium and stainless steel. The first step of pouring concrete for the two units was done in November 2010 after approval by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
Incidents Related to the Kakrapar Nuclear Power Plant
KAPS was out of service for 66 days in 1998 due to the leakage in the cooling loop. In 2004, the control loops were damaged and could not be repaired during maintenance. Hence, poisons had to be added to the system to control the situation, which led to the turning off of the reactors. In 2006, the nearby villagers reported sighting trespassers on plant property, but no evidence of the same was found. In 2016, the KAPS had to be completely shut down for ten days due to the leakage of coolant water. In 2017, it was shut down to replace coolant channels.
Conclusion
When the Government of India first commissioned Kakrapar Atomic Power Station in 1993, it was one of the country’s largest and most modern nuclear power plants. The station, located in Gujarat, was built on the banks of the Tapi with Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs). Each of the reactors used heavy water as a neutron moderator, a difficult to produce and expensive material. The power plant has an installed capacity of 1,000 megawatts. It is the first commercial nuclear power station built in India and the first indigenously built nuclear power station globally.
