Kakrapar Atomic Power Station
Encyclopedia
The Kakrapar Atomic Power Station (KAPS) is a nuclear power
station in India
, which lies in the proximity of the city of Surat
in the state of Gujarat. It consists of two 220 MW pressurized water reactors with heavy water
as moderator (PHWR). KAPS-1 went critical on 3 September 1992 and began commercial electricity production a few months later on 6 May 1993. KAPS-2 went critical on 8 January 1995 and began commercial production in September 1, 1995. In January 2003 the CANDU Owners Group (COG) distinguished KAPS-1 as the worldwide best PHWR of its class.
The construction costs originally were estimated to be 3.8252 billion Rupees, the plant was finally finished at a price of 13.35 billion Rupees. Construction of units 3 and 4 started on 22 November 2010.
Nuclear power
Nuclear power is the use of sustained nuclear fission to generate heat and electricity. Nuclear power plants provide about 6% of the world's energy and 13–14% of the world's electricity, with the U.S., France, and Japan together accounting for about 50% of nuclear generated electricity...
station in India
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, which lies in the proximity of the city of Surat
Surat
Surat , also known as Suryapur, is the commercial capital city of the Indian state of Gujarat. Surat is India's Eighth most populous city and Ninth-most populous urban agglomeration. It is also administrative capital of Surat district and one of the fastest growing cities in India. The city proper...
in the state of Gujarat. It consists of two 220 MW pressurized water reactors with heavy water
Heavy water
Heavy water is water highly enriched in the hydrogen isotope deuterium; e.g., heavy water used in CANDU reactors is 99.75% enriched by hydrogen atom-fraction...
as moderator (PHWR). KAPS-1 went critical on 3 September 1992 and began commercial electricity production a few months later on 6 May 1993. KAPS-2 went critical on 8 January 1995 and began commercial production in September 1, 1995. In January 2003 the CANDU Owners Group (COG) distinguished KAPS-1 as the worldwide best PHWR of its class.
The construction costs originally were estimated to be 3.8252 billion Rupees, the plant was finally finished at a price of 13.35 billion Rupees. Construction of units 3 and 4 started on 22 November 2010.
Accidents
- 1998 KAPS-1 was switched off because of a leakage in the cooling loop for 66 days.
- 10 March 2004 the (at the time) supply for the control rods were irreparably damaged during maintenance work. In response, poisons were added to the system and the reactor was shut off.
- On 22 August 2006 it was reported by village inhabitants the area around the power station had been penetrated. A search by the police did not result in any findings.
Township
- Kaps has a small township located in a rural setting some odd 80 kilometres (49.7 mi) away from the city of Surat.
- It is some less than 20 kilometres (12.4 mi) away from Vyara, which is the headquarters of Tapi district formed in Oct 2007.
Units
| Unit | Type | Gross MW | Construction start | Operation start | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Phase I | |||||
| Kakrapar 1 | PHWR | 220 | 1 December 1984 | 6 May 1993 | |
| Kakrapar 2 | PHWR | 220 | 1 April 1985 | 1 September 1995 | |
| Phase II | |||||
| Kakrapar 3 | PHWR | 700 | 22 November 2010 | 2015 | |
| Kakrapar 4 | PHWR | 700 | 22 November 2010 | 2016 | |