Kakrapar Atomic Power Project

In a recent development, the third unit of the Kakrapar Atomic Power Project (KAPP3) is now operating at full capacity. This achievement is a significant step towards India’s ambitious nuclear power goals.

Unveiling KAPP: Third Unit at Full Capacity

Unit Capacity

• The third unit of KAPP, known as KAPP3, has a capacity of 700 MWe (MegaWatt electrical).

The Significance of KAPP3

Indigenous Development

• KAPP3 is the largest variant of the Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) design.
• It surpasses the previous largest reactor, a 540 MWe PHWR in Tarapur, Maharashtra.

Operationalization Importance

• KAPP3 is India’s first 700 MWe reactor, showcasing a significant technology scale-up.
• The PHWR design has been optimized for the 700 MWe unit, addressing excess thermal margins and benefiting from economies of scale.

Safety Features and Advantages

PHWR Technology

• PHWR technology boasts a high safety score.
• Notably, it employs thin-walled pressure tubes instead of large pressure vessels, mitigating the consequences of accidental ruptures.

Enhanced Safety Design

• The 700 MWe PHWR design incorporates a ‘Passive Decay Heat Removal System.’
• This system removes decay heat without operator intervention, akin to technology used in Generation III+ plants, aiming to prevent incidents similar to Fukushima.

Structural Safety Measures

• Steel-lined containment reduces leakages.
• A containment spray system reduces containment pressure during coolant loss scenarios.

The Journey of KAPP: Financing and Execution

Capital Investment

• The project is financed with a 70:30 debt-to-equity ratio.
• Equity partners include the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL).

Execution Partner

• The reactor building contract for KAPP Units 3 and 4 was awarded to Larsen & Toubro at a contract value of Rs 844 crore.

KAPP’s Timeline and Location

Milestones

• KAPP-3 achieved its first criticality in July 2020.
• The first ‘pour of concrete’ for KAPP-3 took place in November 2010.

Location

• KAPP is situated in the state of Gujarat, India.

India’s Nuclear Power Vision

Current and Target Capacity

• India’s current nuclear power capacity stands at 7,480 MWe.
• The country aims to achieve a capacity of 22,480 MWe by 2031.

Global Nuclear Contribution

• India’s current nuclear capacity contributes 2 percent to the global power generation capacity of 4,17,668 MW.