India's Kudankulam NPP launches first unit at minimum power
MOSCOW. July 15 (Interfax) - The first generating unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, which is being built in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu under the supervision of Russian specialists, was launched at minimum controlled reactor power on Saturday evening.
At this stage, specialists will gather information on the operation of the reactor and send it to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Authority, Indian media reported, citing the Nuclear Power Corporation of India. Once the regulator gives permission, the reactor will be brought up to 50% of capacity, then 75% and then 90%.
The second unit could be launched at minimum controlled reactor power eight months after the first.
The Kudankulam NPP is being built under a Russian-Indian agreement signed November 20, 1988 and addenda to it signed June 21, 1998. Construction of the first two generating units with VVER-1000 reactors with combined capacity of 2,000 MW began in 2002 under the management of Atomstroyexport (ASE), which is now a division of state nuclear corporation Rosatom.
The fuel began to be loaded into the reactor of the first unit on September 19 and was completed in early October 2012. The launch of the first unit was initially planned for 2011, but was repeatedly delayed.