.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Thursday dedicated to the nation two new Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) with a cumulative capacity of 1,400 megawatt established at Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) in Gujarat’s Surat district.
After addressing a gathering at Navsari in south Gujarat, the PM reached Kakrapar village of adjoining Surat district where the nuclear power plant is situated.
The new Unit 3 and Unit 4 at KAPS, each having capacity to produce 700 MW of electricity, were built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at a cost of over ₹22,500 crore and they are the largest indigenous PHWRs in the country, officials said.
During his visit to the atomic power station in the evening, the PM inaugurated the two new reactors and also interacted with senior officials, including NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director Bhuwan Chandra Pathak.
The PM was accompanied by Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel and BJP Member of Parliament from Navsari CR Paatil, who is also the president of the ruling party’s state unit.
Modi visited the main control room of the power plant and understood different processes and other finer details from Pathak.
Before leaving KAPS, the PM briefly addressed scientists and as well as senior officers at the plant and motivated them to continue their good work, the officials said.
On Wednesday, a PIB release said these two units are first of its kind reactors and have advanced safety features comparable with the best in the world.
Together, these two reactors will produce about 10.4 billion units of clean electricity per year and benefit consumers of multiple states like Gujarat, Maharashtra, MP, Chhattisgarh, Goa and Union Territory of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu, the release said.
While these reactors have been built by NPCIL, the supply of equipment and execution of contracts have been taken care by Indian industries and companies, thus reflecting the true spirit of ‘Make in India’. The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station has been operational since 1993, with two units generating 220 MW each. The new units 3 and 4 have been built adjacent to the existing ones.
NPCIL currently operates 23 reactors, totalling 7,480 MW in capacity. These consist of 19 PWHR reactors, two boiling water reactors (BWR), and two pressurised water reactors (PWRs). NPCIL is building nine more units (including KAPP-4), adding up to 7,500 MW in capacity. Additionally, 10 additional reactors, with a combined capacity of 7,000 MW, are in pre-project stages and are expected to be finished by 2031-32.
The launch of the two units at Kakrapar marks a significant milestone in the commercial evolution of the indigenously-developed PWHR technology. The unit capacity of PHWRs has progressed from 220 MW to 540 MW and now to 700 MW with near to full indigenous content.
Discussion about this post