India to start building 10 nuclear power plants in 'Fleet Mode' from 2023
It was for the first time that the govt had approved building 10 nuclear power reactors in one go with an aim to reduce costs and speed up construction time.
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New Delhi, March 28: With the first pour of concrete for a 700 MW atomic power plant in Kaiga, Karnataka, scheduled in 2023, India is set to put in motion construction activities for 10 'fleet mode' nuclear reactors over next 3 years.
Centre approved construction of 10 indigenously developed pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) of 700 MW each in June 2017. 10 PHWRs will be built at a cost of Rs 1.05 lakh crore.
It was for the first time that the govt had approved building 10 nuclear power reactors in one go with an aim to reduce costs and speed up construction time.
Engineering, procurement and construction package for turbine island has been awarded for Gorakhpur units three and four and Kaiga units 5 and 6, they added. Under the fleet mode, a nuclear power plant is expected to be built over a period of 5 years from the first pour of concrete.
Currently, India operates 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation. One 700 MW reactor at Kakrapar in Gujarat was connected to the grid on January 10 last year, but it is yet to start commercial operations.
The 2nd reactor had to be built with significant domestic components as Canada withdrew support following India's peaceful nuclear tests in 1974. 14 PHWRS of 220 MW each with standardised design and improved safety measures were built by India over the years.
Indian engineers improvised the design to increase power generation capacity to 540 MWe, and 2 such reactors were made operational at Tarapur in Maharashtra.
The first pour of concrete (FPC) signals the beginning of construction of nuclear power reactors from the pre-project stage which includes excavation activities at the project site.
"The FPC of Kaiga units 5&6 is expected in 2023; FPC of Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Praiyonjan units 3 & 4 and Mahi Banswara Rajasthan Atomic Power Projects units 1 to 4 is expected in 2024; and that of Chutka Madhya Pradesh Atomic Power Project units 1 & 2 in 2025," officials of Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) told Parliamentary panel on science & technology.
Centre approved construction of 10 indigenously developed pressurised heavy water reactors (PHWR) of 700 MW each in June 2017. 10 PHWRs will be built at a cost of Rs 1.05 lakh crore.
It was for the first time that the govt had approved building 10 nuclear power reactors in one go with an aim to reduce costs and speed up construction time.
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Bulk procurement was underway for the fleet mode projects with purchase orders placed for forgings for steam generators, SS 304L lattice tubes and plates for end shields, pressuriser forgings, bleed condensers forgings, incoloy-800 tubes for 40 steam generators, reactor headers, said DAE officials.
Engineering, procurement and construction package for turbine island has been awarded for Gorakhpur units three and four and Kaiga units 5 and 6, they added. Under the fleet mode, a nuclear power plant is expected to be built over a period of 5 years from the first pour of concrete.
Currently, India operates 22 reactors with a total capacity of 6780 MW in operation. One 700 MW reactor at Kakrapar in Gujarat was connected to the grid on January 10 last year, but it is yet to start commercial operations.
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The PHWRs, which use natural uranium as fuel and heavy water as moderator, have emerged as the mainstay of India's nuclear power programme. India's first pair of PHWRs of 220 MW each were set up at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan in 1960s with Canadian support.
The 2nd reactor had to be built with significant domestic components as Canada withdrew support following India's peaceful nuclear tests in 1974. 14 PHWRS of 220 MW each with standardised design and improved safety measures were built by India over the years.
Indian engineers improvised the design to increase power generation capacity to 540 MWe, and 2 such reactors were made operational at Tarapur in Maharashtra.