Kakrapur N-power unit shut following heavy water leak

Unit-1 of Kakrapara Atomic Power Station (KAPS), an indigenous 220 MWe pressurised heavy water reactor (PHWR), near Surat was shutdown at about 0900 hours on Friday, following an incident of leak from its coolant system.

The safety systems of the reactor have worked as intended, including the backup cooling systems, and an automatic shutdown was effected, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) said in a release.

''The Unit-1 of Kakrapar Atomic Power Station KAPS-1 was operating at its rated power and was shutdown around 9 a.m. on Friday after a small leak in the Primary Heat Transport (PHT) system. The reactor was shut down as per design provisions. All safety systems are working as intended,'' according to the official NPCL statement.

''All the safety functions for the reactor are currently functioning satisfactorily. There has not been any abnormal release of radio activity outside the plant or radiation exposures, as a result of the incident,'' the release stated.

Unit-2 of KAPS is already under shutdown since July 2015. The Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB) is monitoring the status of the plant closely.

Following the event, a plant emergency was declared. The plant emergency signifies a heightened state of alert for the plant personnel and management, the release noted.

An expert from AERB is already at the KAPS site and a team of additional experts are being deputed by AERB for independent assessment of the situation at the plant. AERB is also asking the plant to keep the unit under shutdown state till the incident is fully investigated and corrective actions are taken, it added.

The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station is located in the Vyara District of Gujarat, about 80 km from Surat. KAPS site has two indigenous PHWR based NPP units of 220 MWe capacity reactors which were commissioned in the nineties. Two more units of 700 MWe electrical capacity are currently under construction.