RAPS Unit-5 takes second place globally with 765 days continuous run

RAPS-5, the unit-5 at Rawatbhata, Rajasthan, today completed record safe reactor operation of 765 days. This has earned the second position globally for the unit.

Speaking on the occasion, Atomic Energy Commission chairman RK Sinha said with this achievement India has surpassed the earlier second best continuous operation record of 739 days.

During the period of continuous run, since 2 August 2012 up till today the unit has operated at full power. In all, Indian nuclear power reactors have recorded more than a year of continuous operation on fourteen occasions so far.

He said so far only 10 rectors in the world have accomplished uninterrupted production for more than 500 days and of which India has 3 such reactors. The remaining 2 are from Canada and the remaining five are from USA, Sinha added.

RAPS-5, an indigenously designed Pressurised Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) of 220 MW is fuelled with natural uranium and moderated and cooled by heavy water. It was first synchronized to grid on 22 December 2009 and began its commercial operation on 4 February 2010.

The unit has generated and supplied about 8,663 million units of electricity till today to Northern Grid since its commercial operation, benefitting Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh and Uttrakhand.

The Rawatbhata Rajasthan Site hosts eight PHWRs, of which two 700-MW PHWRs are under construction, making the site India's first and largest nuclear park in terms of number of reactors hosted at a site.

Of the 1080 MW capacity in operation currently, about 50 per cent of the power generated at the site is supplied to Rajasthan.

Later, addressing media persons, Sinha elaborated the expansion plans for the upcoming unit 7 and 8 of RAPS, which are under construction. They will produce700 MW power separately.

He said plans to produce radio isotopes from the literally defunct Unit one RAPP are under consideration. He said since India has emerged as a responsible atomic energy entity hence the outlook of foreign suppliers has changed. Hence the uranium suppliers are extending their support unconditionally and power production from our reactors will definitely increase in leaps and bounds.

He said the decision regarding the use of Australian uranium supply will be taken in future. Sinha also informed that last year the Uranium Corporation of India has produced nearly 460 tonnes of Uranium.