The Kakrapar Power Plant in Gujarat has achieved its full criticality. This means that the power plant of capacity 400 Mega Watt can start functioning now, as reported by The Hindu.
Speaking about this, Prime Minister Narendra Modi congratulated the scientists and engineers, who were responsible for commissioning and bringing it to operation.
He also applauded it for making the ‘Make in India’ campaign’ a reality. His tweet read, “Congratulations to our nuclear scientists for achieving criticality of Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3. This indigenously designed 700 MWe KAPP-3 reactor is a shining example of Make in India”. He added that this is a “trailblazer for many such future achievements”
Congratulations to our nuclear scientists for achieving criticality of Kakrapar Atomic Power Plant-3! This indigenously designed 700 MWe KAPP-3 reactor is a shining example of Make in India. And a trailblazer for many such future achievements!
— Narendra Modi (@narendramodi) July 22, 2020
Kakrapar is a Pressurized Heavy Water Reactor (PHWR) Power Plant, which belongs to one of the largest family of reactors with respect to power plants. Given India’s plans to add 175 GW of renewable energy from renewable sources such as wind and sun, the nuclear projects should help provide the baseload to balance the power grid.
India’s ambitious plans include constructing a dozen new nuclear power reactors totaling 9,000 MW. While nine reactors totaling 6,700 MW are under construction, the Centre has also given in-principal approval to set up nuclear power capacities totaling 25,248 MW across Jaitapur (Maharashtra), Kowada (Andhra Pradesh), Chhaya Mithi Virdi (Gujarat), Haripur (West Bengal) and Bhimpur (Madhya Pradesh), reported the Live Mint.