Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station

Located in Tamil Nadu, Kalpakkam is considered the house of India’s modern and indigenous nuclear station – the Madras Nuclear Power Plant. This small town is famous for its facilities and industrial growth and has also become a popular tourist site due to its backwaters and flocks of migratory birds. The Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station is said to be the house of two nuclear reactors operating at 220 MW power along with a super-fast breeder reactor having a power generation capacity of 500 MWe. This is why this facility is said to be the first step the Indian government has taken toward a prospective nuclear future. 

What is an atomic power plant?

An atomic power plant or a nuclear power plant is a power generating station where electricity is produced, with atomic energy being the main source. Heat energy is used to drive the generators that produce electrical energy. The heat is harboured from nuclear reactors because a huge amount of heat energy is generated when a nuclear reaction occurs. 

A nuclear reaction is a physicochemical process by which an unstable atom loses energy and emits alpha or beta rays to achieve a stable state. There are two types of nuclear reactions: 

1. Nuclear fission reaction: A radioactive atom splits up into two or more stable nuclei while realising neutrons and radioactive rays. These neutrons further hit other molecules of the elements, thereby causing a chain reaction. The amount of heat energy produced is huge, owing to the chain-styled reaction that is further extracted and used in the thermal engine for producing electricity. 

2. Nuclear fusion reaction: Two smaller nuclei fuse to form a radioactive heavier nuclear. The heat generated during the fusion reaction is huge, but it can’t be harboured because the amount is almost similar to solar energy. Stars and the sun get their power from continuous nuclear fusion reactions of hydrogen and helium isotopes. 

History of Kalpakkam Atomic Power Plant

After the first nuclear power plant was commissioned in Rajasthan, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) planned to construct more plants. One of them was the Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station. It was commissioned in 1965. At that time, it was declared that two new reactors would be constructed but without the help from the Canadian government. After the initial experiments and other jobs were done, this power plant’s construction was sanctioned in 1967. 

During that time, the infrastructure to construct the Kalpakkam Power Plant wasn’t present. Besides, published reports proved that the initial inspection wasn’t done properly. This is why approximately 3.8 lakhs sleeper logs were brought to the place for lifting the first reactor unit for this power plant. 

In 2016, the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor (PFBR), was constructed completely, and the nuclear power plant got its final addition as per the initial plan. In March 2017, this reactor reached criticality in the production of electrical energy. Post this, in May 2017, about 1750 tons of liquid sodium were loaded as a coolant. 

Nuclear reactors present in the Kalpakkam atomic facility 

The Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station currently has three nuclear reactors. Even though the DAE has declared the construction of two new units at Kalpakkam, they aren’t yet complete. Following is a brief description of the reactors in the Kalpakkam atomic plant. 

Indian Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors- 220 Watts

The IPHWR-220 was first designed and constructed by BARC. It has a thermal power output of 754.5 MWth, while the active power generated is approximately 500 MWe. The primary coolant is always heavy water circulated at high pressure, while the secondary coolant is light water. Heavy water comprises Deuterium, an isotope of hydrogen that can absorb a huge amount of heat without evaporation. There are two units at the Kalpakkam Power Plant, each producing 220 MW of active energy. 

• MAPS-I started operating on January 27, 1984

• MAPS-II started being functional from March 21, 1986

Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor- 500 MWe

Fast breeder nuclear (FBR) reactors are considered to be safer and much more efficient than traditional reactors. The only operational FBR present in the world is in Russia. This is why when DAE and ICGAR completed the construction of the Prototype Fast Breeder Reactor and made it functional in 2010, the Indian nuclear industry came into the limelight. 

In 2020, the reactor reached its first critical state for producing 500 MWe of active energy. Rather than using common nuclear fuels like uranium and plutonium, the PFBR uses the thorium cycle to produce power, owing to India’s vast reserves of this radioactive element. Instead of heavy water, liquid sodium is used as a coolant in this reactor. 

Conclusion 

The Kalpakkam Atomic Power Station has become India’s first commercial nuclear facility having the capability to use thorium fuel cycle and produce uranium fissile atoms that can be further used with plutonium atoms for chemical reactions. Combining all the active power outputs of two heavy water pressurised nuclear reactors and a fast breeder nuclear reactor, this power plant’s total power generation capacity is 940 MWe. Despite being a modern facility with an Interim Storage Facility unit, there was a huge disaster. In 1999 March 29, the MAPS-II reactor suffered from heavy water spillage in a huge quantity that put seven technicians at extremely high risk of radiation.