Sources have stated that the second reactor of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP), which has attained criticality on July 10th last month, has crossed another milestone at 11.17 a.m. on Monday when the turbine of the 1,000 MWe units was successfully synchronized to the southern power grid situated at Abhishekapatti on the town’s outskirts.
The KKNPP’s elated Site Director R.S. Sundar, who has monitored the syncing from the control room along with his senior colleagues, has told that they are presently transmitting 245 MWe power to the southern grid from the second unit, which will be gradually increased in phases, after conducting mandatory tests stipulated by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board.
It is stated that the unit will be shut down for a mandatory inspection of the turbine generator after a few days of operation and the generation of power will be raised to 250 MWe, 500 MWe, 750 MWe, 900 MWe and then 1,000 MWe, in stages and at every stage, tests will be verified with the technical parameters mandated by the AERB.
Mr. Sundar has told that the project to be completed in 60 months from the ‘first pouring of concrete’ on March 31st, 2002, it has taken 11 years for the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd. to reach criticality with the first reactor because of problems ranging from delays in the supply of components by the Russians to anti-KKNPP agitations.
