Generation from India’s 21 nuclear power reactors reached 35,333 GWh in financial year 2013-14, state-owned Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) said 1 April.
This represents an increase of 7.5% over the 32,860 GWh generated in 2012-13, according to figures from the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), and was above the FY target of 35,200 GWh, again according to CEA figures.
NPCIL said that generation was achieved from ‘the safe and reliable operation’ of 21 nuclear power reactors, including unit 1 of the Kudankulam plant (1000 MW), which was connected to the grid on 22 October 2013.
India currently has 4730 MW of installed nuclear capacity.
Rajasthan 5 breaks Indian operational record
NPCIL also announced that unit 5 of its Rajasthan Atomic Power Station broke the Indian record for the longest continuous operation on 1 April, after 607 days of non-stop operation. RAPS 5 beat the previous record of unit 2 at the Tarapur Atomic Power Station, set in August 2012.
RAPS unit 5 is a 220 MWe Indian-designed pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR), which started-up towards the end of 2009. The previous record-holder Tarapur unit 2 is a 210 MWe General Electric boiling water reactor, which began operation in 1969.
Photo: India’s Rajasthan Atomic Power Station
