AERB clears unit 1 of Kudankulam N-power plant

The Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) has reached the final stage of getting into generation mode with the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) granting clearance for commencing controlled nuclear fission process, the "first approach to criticality", at its 1000 MW unit 1.

"AERB has granted clearance for the first approach to criticality (FAC) of unit 1 of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project as the next major stage of commissioning," AERB said in a statement issued on Thursday.

KNPP officials said with clearance for 'First Approach to Criticality' (FAC), actual power generation would start in a month-and-a-half after some internal formalities are completed.

The long-delayed nuclear power project in the southern coast of Tamil Nadu, being built with Russian assistance, has been mired in controversy from its beginning.

Besides opposition from locals and environmentalists, the plant was also facing problems of quality issues with some sub-critical parts.

FAC is the commencement of the controlled nuclear fission process ahead of commencement of actual commercial scale production using a nuclear reactor, AERB said.

The agency said it has carried out in-depth review of all associated safety aspects, commissioning results, corrective measures of the identified non-conformances and submissions regarding fulfilment of various regulatory requirements before clearing the unit for FAC.

AERB had, in September last year, granted final permission for initial fuel loading (IFL) in the first unit. Since then specialist groups and advisory committee of the nuclear sector regulator had carried out project safety review, added.

The Supreme Court had, on 6 May, given its go ahead for the commissioning of the first 1,000 MW plant, which uses pressurised water technique (See: SC clears Kundankulam nuclear plant as 'safe, beneficial'). The court, however, had asked the government to ensure utmost safety and security requirements at the plant. despite the apex court's clearance, a week later 60 leading scientists have written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh as well as chief ministers of Tamil Nadu and Kerala seeking a "renewed study" of safety issues by an independent panel of experts, "particularly with reference to possible sub-standard components" used in the plant (Kudankulam n-plant: shoddy construction likely, warn 60 experts).